Decent Days and Nights
by AidenB
Summary: A big, bad and funny tale about the connected lives and loves of the New York City Police Department. UPDATED!: FINAL CHAPTER UP! REVIEW!
1. I Predict A Riot

**Decent Days and Nights**

**Summary: This is a tale about the lives and loves of the people of New York, mainly that of it's New York City Police Department. Character based fic, two new main OC's. It's fun!**

**Disclaimer: You can see my disclaimer on my user page.**

**A/N: There's some 'bad' language and things are implied…things happen…but I'll warn you as it happens. This is also as a more…conversational fic, if that makes sense, there'll be a tiny bit less of my description mania and more talking. It's set in season one and...I've had this on the back burner for a while...Short start...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

With hands folded across his chest, a weary Danny Messer let out a short frustrated curse.

Gritting his teeth he checked his watch and frowned at the time; he was stood in a large auto shop in downtown New York titled 'Wheelers & Dealers', impatiently wondering how many more minutes of his life were going to be wasted in that place.

After a brief, but memorable two week vacation with a friend in Miami; Danny had returned back to New York, expecting to find his beloved jeep (won at a work banquet) to have been repaired.

Yet three weeks later, Danny had yet to see any signs that his car would be returned to him any time soon.

Gazing around at his surroundings he took in the shop's grimy windows, the surfaces that were layered with saw dust, the grey, harshly lit room littered with various car parts and assorted mechanical items. Further from him, beyond two old battered cars and one gleaming new Porsche was a stack of boxes with more car parts. Past the boxes was the office of the auto shop owner, the screens had been drawn down with its black office door locked.

"Why is this taking so long?" he said slowly, trying to keep his temper in check.

"It's taking 'so long', because you keep interrupting me" muttered the mechanic working on the car.

Although obscured by the raised hood of the car, the person was distinctly female and had the unmistakable tone of someone who was pissed off.

Danny was silent for a few moments and wondered about the location of the owner of the auto shop. Normally he would give Danny a discount and make sure that Danny's car was put at the top of the repair list but the place was near empty and he wasn't sure the grouchy mechanic working on his car was going to be as considerate.

"You know what I don't have time for this, I-I, can I talk to Eddie?" he asked sounding gruffer than he meant to.

The woman's head peered from under the hood briefly to answer him, her face was slightly scruffy by oil stains and her bottle blonde hair was falling over her eyes but the high levels of irritation she was radiating were very clear.

"Do you mind shutting up? Firstly, Eddie ain't here and second; you got a problem? Try finding someone else who will do such a good job on these prices" she challenged, her hands planted firmly on her hips

Danny sighed and folded his arms across his chest, knowing she was right but not willing to confirm this by answering.

From his look the woman smirked smugly and her head disappeared behind the hood again. Shaking his head to himself, Danny refused to let her have the last word. It had been three weeks since he'd last seen, let alone used his car and he was tired of constantly relying on co-workers to get a lift to and from work.

"You're new right? So maybe you don't realise this, but I've been waiting for that car for three weeks now, is there any way you can speed this up a little? Please" said Danny, attempting and failing to sound a little more friendly than he felt

The girl re-emerged from under his car hood and slammed it down angrily, causing the items on a nearby work bench to clatter together slightly "That's it! I'm not doing this! I have been working on this…car, trying to find matching parts and the entire time, you've been standing there breathing down my neck. Why don't you just…" the woman then proceeded to turn the air a rich blue with a string of expletives.

Danny gaped at her and felt the temper he'd been trying to reign in come shooting up to the surface

"Hey! The fuck is your problem? I didn't come here and ask to be insulted for something that is your job, this is my car, excuse me for trying to find out why the hell it's still in the auto shop for a few scratches and shit!" he snapped back.

In the back of his mind, he had an inkling that his anger was misdirected but that did nothing to lessen his anger

"Actually if I didn't do this job right, this thing'd fall apart in a light breeze since you've been treating it so badly. So it's really not some 'scratches and shit'" hissed the woman

"Well then deal with it! Like you were supposed to three weeks ago so that you can go ahead and over price me" he retorted, imitating her crossed arms and feet apart stance

"Not my problem anymore, get the hell out of here and take your car with you. Or I will kick, your, ass" she gestured with a flick of her blonde hair towards the repair shop's raised metal grate which served as an entrance

The woman squared her shoulders confrontationally and straightened her back to make the most of her height of 5'4", despite being much shorter than Danny, he had no doubt in his mind that she wouldn't be afraid to get into blows with him.

"I ain't going nowhere, I've been waiting…" he started, only for the blonde to interject, she made a sweeping gesture towards the entrance of the shop with her hand

"Save it, I want you out of here, you loud mouth son of a…" the woman suddenly froze mid-flow as a third voice, this time male was heard

"What's going on here?"

A few brief strides later and Don Flack was stood staring down at the blonde, shaking his head with a mixture of disappointment, confusion and weariness.

Danny noted the recognition between the two and voiced his thoughts "Wait a minute, do you two know each other?"

Flack let out a snort and spoke dryly, as if he'd just heard a joke "Yeah, she's my sister"

* * *

The woman pulled an embarassed face "Hey...bro"

"You wanna excuse us for a second?" he said briskly to Danny

Danny shrugged "Go ahead. Its not like I'm waiting for something or anything"

The woman snorted "Ass"

Flack frogmarched his sister up to the auto shop office and slammed the door shut the door behind them.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped impatiently "What was the whole deal with you and Danny back there?"

"Danny? Why do you care, what is he your boyfriend?" she teased but he wasn't biting

Don gave her a warning look "I work with him. So explain, now"

His sister looked sheepish "Huh…of all the auto shops in all the world you had to come into mine…" she trailed off at the no-nonsense look in her brother's eyes

"And…what are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work now…" he faltered and took in her new blonde hair and groaned, a wry grin replacing his frown. It seemed she hadn't truly gotten over her penchant for changing her hair colour on a whim.

"Veronica Robin Theresa Flack, do you want to explain your hair? Can you stick to one?" he sighed a mock long suffering sigh.

His sister arched her eyebrows "Don't talk to me about hair, Donald Robert Eugene Flack. And it's Ronnie" she sniped, putting emphasis on the word Ronnie, which was her nickname

Don flinched at the use of his full name, especially Eugene but he pressed on, folding his arms across his chest and fixed her with a firm look. "Don't make me get parental on you, I want to know what was going on back there. Now"

Ronnie's face was suddenly transformed into the picture of innocence, she widened her eyes and smiled winsomely "You know Eddie and I are good friends right? Well I owed him a favour. So, he said he wanted to cash in on that favour and…he asked me to look after the shop while he was away on business. Conventions for cars…crap like that."

Flack narrowed his eyes "What has that got to do with the drama that was going on in here though?"

Ronnie rolled her eyes "I'm getting there, anyway…so I'm here working for free I might add, when this…guy just struts in and starts shouting orders all over the place, talking down to me, being an asshole and hassling me" she looked suddenly endearingly wide-eyed and pitiful "I was just minding my own..."

"That's crap." said Flack cutting her off mid flow

By the look on his face it was apparent he had believed nothing of what his sister had claimed for he was far too used to her schemes and argumentative nature.

"Since when has anyone hassled you? You have got to get over your weird persecution complex and get your attitude checked, I put my neck out getting you a good job here and I don't want you to go and screw it up on your first day. Ain't you supposed to be there in a half hour?"

Ronnie sighed impatiently and nodded "Well I would have been, if I hadn't been left with all of Eddie's left over customers. I don't even know the rest of the guys who work here but those asses are down at the bar on eighth while I get stuck here" she muttered bitterly and wiped some of the grime on her face, preening in a mirror that sat above the part-time accountant's desk

"You don't have to worry about work, I'll be there…as soon as I finish here. Clean and polished and I'll be a model employee, you watch" she added

Don sniffed disbelievingly but his expression had softened. He smiled at his baby sister and ruffled her hair even further "C'mere, Ronnie, give your big brother a hug"

Ronnie grinned and let her brother pull her into a bear hug. He kissed her forehead lovingly and then sighed, one arm still around her.

"You know this doesn't mean you're anywhere near being off the hook but first things first, where you staying?"

"On a pal's sofa" replied Ronnie sheepishly, she knew she should have had an apartment prepared by the time she came to start work as a member of the NYPD but had failed to do so and had ended up sharing a cramped apartment with four other people

Don pinched her arm "For Christs…" he looked thoughtful for a moment "All right, after work move your stuff into my place and we'll see what we can do about finding you your own place, anyway, I'm going to finish up whatever work you had here and you're going to go back to my place and get yourself cleaned up. Then you get your loud ass to work"

His sister appeared to be about to start yet another argument but thought better of it and shrugged her shoulders reluctantly "Okay. Fine, whatever", he leant back against the wall and surveyed her

"You better be on your best behaviour, or I'm coming after ya"

"Like I'm scared of you"

"Yeah you are and will you please wear something a little more respectable than your usual get up? You're gonna regret wearing those earrings and heels of yours after a couple of hours in those labs"

Ronnie pinched him, hard, and chuckled teasingly "Hey! Are you saying I'm not respectable?"

Don chuckled "Like hell you are."

Ronnie paused as if she was about to say something yet again, but changed her mind and settled for giving him a dirty look before headed out of the auto shop not so quietly muttering about how her brother had serious control issues.

Don watched her go wryly and felt the beginnings of a headache.

* * *

**A/N: Hated fanfiction for a while there so I wasn't posting, but I've regained my passion for it and I'm back now! THANK YOU to NeverMindDream for giving Decent...it's first 'decent' reviews. Oh and the best is yet to come from little miss Ronnie Flack! ; )**


	2. Setting The Scene

Aiden looked at Danny exasperatedly. He had cornered her in the break room on her only break on a double shift and was pestering her as she sat down to eat, claiming he knew she was engaged to Thacker. This wasn't actually true, especially since Thacker was gay but Danny was persistent.

"Listen Messer, coz I'm only gonna to say this _once_, I do_ not_ have a thing for Thacker, we don't live together, we are _not _lovers and we are definitely _not_ engaged"

Danny shook his head and wondered why his friend wouldn't admit the truth, in his head, her relationship with Thacker was the world's worst kept secret.

"Don't even try it. You two are engaged, I've seen the tan lines on your ring fingers. Now either you've both been married before or…"

Aiden tried not to smile at the truth but instead burst out laughing then she frowned again.

"You are so way off it's not even funny, if you keep at this, I'm going to have to cause you grievous bodily harm to get some revenge"

The clearing of a throat somewhere by the doorway interrupted them from their banter Danny looked up and did a double take. Don's sister was stood there with a wry expression on her face. Clearly she hadn't expected to see him there either.

She was almost unrecognisable in her smart red blouse and black trousers, especially now she didn't have on a layer of grime on her face.

Her blonde hair was done up in a low, bouncy ponytail and Danny could definitely see the family resemblance from her bright blue eyes to the great bone structure that she shared with Don.

"Danny Messer?" she said looking at him, popping a piece of gum absently.

Danny looked at her warily "Come to 'kick my ass'?" he muttered dryly

Ronnie responded in equally dry tone. "Listen, I came here to say…fair dues. I understand how you were wrong back in the garage, and you don't have to apologise. Manly pride and all that"

Aiden snickered, unaware of what was going on but finding Danny's annoyance amusing, she sat up straighter and watched the situation unfold.

Danny raised his eyebrow in surprise "_What_, are _you_ doing here?"

"New lab technician. Apparently you guys could use a few more" she said shortly with an impish look

Danny finally had his explanation "Well you still owe me an apology"

She then sauntered over to him cockily "So what if I don't apologise for being bad? Are you gonna give me a detention?"

Aiden's laughter was becoming more noticeable now. Danny would have laughed too; if it hadn't had been at his expense.

"Is this your way of apologising?" said Danny impatiently "Coz it doesn't sound like any type of 'sorry' I ever heard"

Ronnie sighed slowly and looked before returning to Danny's face. She realised that her brother wouldn't rest until she had the apology out of the way. She was starting to think that she wasn't going to enjoy living with her brother.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped at you like that" she nodded sincerely

Now Danny smirked "Especially not before the first date" he said dryly

"Don't push it. _Danny boy_" she sing-songed, only irritating him further

Aiden spoke up "I like her" she got up to leave the lab, just remembering she'd planned to meet Thacker for a case and lunch on the way. As she left, Aiden shot Danny a smug and amused glance

"Watching you get owned by her? Something which I'm gonna tell everyone I meet...That…would be my uh, revenge"

Danny glared at Aiden till she had left and found himself remaining in the break room with Ronnie who was wearing an expression similar to Aiden's. Fortunately for him, her humour didn't last long.

"Is she hassling you again?" said Don from behind them, he walked into the break room eyeing his sister warily.

He had been in search of Danny to invite him to a party and was rather put out to discover his sister apparently engaged in another argument with his friend.

Ronnie turned to face Don and put on an expression of mock hurt. "I resent that and _she_ has a name"

Don ignored her and looked at Danny, who appeared to be trying to keep the smile off his face "Did she apologise?"

Danny folded his arms, and looked thoughtful "I don't know…I'm still a little traumatised"

Ronnie scoffed and she turned to exit, muttering quietly to herself about how irritating her brother was. His watching out for her was all well and good but often his presence could get stifling. He didn't seem to realise she was more than capable of looking after herself.

Don sighed, sensing her mood "Great. Danny, again. I'm sorry for that whole scene, she's a good kid…I mean woman. Just a little in your face sometimes"

Danny shook his head, half-laughing and half-looking sympathetic "Don't worry about it man"

Flack shrugged this off and switched the topic to what he had initially come to see him about.

He knew he should have left his sister to her own devices, but he worried about her. She wasn't as strong as she made out to be and he just hoped that this new chance back in her home state with some familiar faces and friends would help her re-establish her life.

* * *

Georgina Wheil took in the passing view of New York City from the backseat of a yellow cab. The minute she'd got off the plane she knew she was back home.

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto, she thought with a wry grin.

Getting out of the cab with her dog (an aggressive looking but generally peaceful German Shepard) she stood before the tall rise apartment complex where she'd be living and let herself absorb her surroundings.

The taxi driver helped her carry some of her cases to the front of the complex before bidding her a friendly 'good luck' and then leaving to pick up his next fare.

"No dogs" sniffed the stout, red haired receptionist once George (as she was more well known) had struggled with her suitcases and her dog Atticus into the main building

The woman flashed him a hopeful smile, tucking her wiry dark curls behind her ear "I already have a place here...come on, not even if he is very quiet?"

The receptionist took a long laborious once over at George's intimidating dog and then back at the woman in front of him. He frowned.

"Well…"

* * *

"That son of a bitch…no dogs allowed…stupid…should have told me earlier…so arresting his ass…"

Georgina Wheil continued to mutter like this angrily to herself as she paced around a boulder in Central Park dialling numbers on her phone and trying to find a temporary place to stay. She ignored the odd looks she got for her surly mumbling as well as the suitcases her dog was guarding..

"Don't worry Atticus, let me sort this out. Looks like we're staying with Aunt Judith"

The dog let out a quiet whine but wisely behaved himself.

* * *

Once at her aunt Judith's home, George wasted no time in using the half hour she had before work to quickly change into a crisp, form flattering black suit and was just brushing her thick hair into a ponytail when the guest room door opened.

The tall, slender woman tossed her niece a brown paper bag, to which George frowned, feeling she was a little too old to have someone make her lunches for her.

"You're not going to go anywhere without some good food in you are you? What, you want your mother to come over here and find out I'm not feeding her little girl?" clucked Judith, guessing what George was thinking

George looked chagrined "Yeah, I love how you continuously try to fatten me up and then say I need to lose weight or I'll never get a man. Oh and thank you for not knocking" she put the paper bag down onto a white dresser and tried to exit the room but her Aunt appeared not to have finished the conversation yet.

"You've got a mouth on you eh?"

George grinned as her aunt thrust the lunch bag back at her "Well I must get it from you Auntie J"

Judith chuckled again and flicked some of her expensively highlighted brown hair out of her face "Get out of here you cheeky…"

George rolled her eyes and with a parting wave from her aunt she headed out of the house.

As she hailed a cab, she couldn't help wanting to move into a place of her own and fast. She may have been grateful for her aunt's hospitality but things would be cramped what with her four cousins and her uncle Sanford and his constant stream of old friends coming in and out of the house, not to mention his wife being an agony aunt for her neighbourhood and having all sorts of troubled friends travelling in and out. 

She'd had enough of loving in a full house and now all it symbolised to her was a feeling of being stifled and the faster she got away from that the better.

* * *

Flack turned and raised his torch in the dark hallway, jumping as he caught the startled gaze of Aiden.

"Hey! What are you trying to do! _Kill_ me?"

"I've got to be the first to tell you, you've got a real persecution complex. Why so jumpy?" she smirked as she set up her kit

Flack didn't reply, he was more surprised at how the very words he'd used on his sister were coming back to bite him in an unpleasant place.

"Don't act like it ain't true. You've heard the stories, now you're dealing with the evidence" he pointed out indignantly "The curse exists. If you ask me we should just burn the whole place and get rid of it"

Aiden chortled, "Don't tell me you believe all that crap. You're such a girl"

Flack tapped her on the head with his torch in response and ventured out to the rest of the house, still hearing her laughter as he walked away.

If he weren't actually on edge he'd be laughing. A grown man like him acting like a 'girl' as Aiden had so eloquently said; was laughable.

Rounding a corner he stepped into a small shadowy box room; the study. The very room where a curse was said to have been placed at the same time of the murders that had taken place a few years ago in the study.

Flack resisted a shudder and went to turn on the lights.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the lights illuminated a figure in crouched down by some papers in the far corner of the room carrying a torch. The figure turned to face him and was revealed to be a dark haired woman dressed in a black suit.

"Scared?" smirked the woman, her brown eyes twinkling

Flack frowned, perturbed that it was the second time in less than three minutes he'd been 'surprised' and he was not enjoying it in the least.

"No. Who are you and what are you doing at my crime scene?"

George flashed the badge dangling from her neck at him. "Detective Wheil, NYPD, and what are you doing at my crime scene?"

"Detective Flack, NYPD. I didn't request any backup…" he said warily

George cleared her throat "I just moved from Vice"

Flack raised an eyebrow but his expression was calmer "Vice to Homicide. That's a switch"

George nodded, a hint of sarcasm in her voice "Well I got bored of Vice and I thought Homicide might be fun"

Flack didn't miss the sarcasm and smirked "No shit" he motioned around the study "Find anything interesting?"

She flicked her pen in the direction of the papers "Well there was a disturbance, I mean I know this place looks like it hasn't seen a cleaner in years but there was some order…who ever came in here was definitely looking for something"

"So you think this was a robbery?"

She shook her head lightly "I don't jump to conclusions but if there's evidence that suggests that…"

Flack nodded "The CSI's are saying our vic has a couple of defensive wounds…but they look old, didn't have any thing worth stealing…no TV, DVD, stereo, camera, none of that"

"Well then maybe this robbery wasn't about profit"

He allowed himself to smile a little "So you do think it was about a robbery?"

George smirked faintly "We'll see"

"All right, I guess you're processing in here, I'll check out the rest of the place. Contrast and compare later?"

George nodded, her attention already back on the study and the possible evidence it held "Will do"

* * *

Mac looked up at his new lab technician with a smile. She certainly was…talkative, he thought to himself.

She'd been sent into his office to sort out her work schedules and so forth which would have normally taken no more than ten minutes, but once that had been taken care of she was still there almost half an hour later, discussing his love life of all things.

He found that Ronnie Flack was just as confident and outspoken (if not more so) than her older brother, he looked at her perched at the end of the leather chair opposite him talking animatedly. He thought at first he could avoid her tricky questions when the subject matter switched from work to romance (he still couldn't quite remember how that had happened). She'd formed her own conclusions, and even from the vague answers he'd given her she'd managed to work out that he had feelings for someone he worked with.

"Veronica?" he started

"Ronnie" she interrupted quickly

"Ronnie. I really have things I need to get on with" he hadn't minded her company before but he really did have things to do and he was vaguely uncomfortable with his love life coming under scrutiny, especially from someone he barely knew.

"Okay boss, I guess I have been chewing your ear for while. Maybe I better let you do your job eh?" she said with a rakish grin

"Uh thanks for that" smiled Mac

"Oh yeah and good luck with your 'mystery woman'. I will work out who she is sooner or later y'know" she commented as she moved towards the door.

As if on cue the door opened and Stella walked in, under her arm a few folders.

"What mystery woman?" she asked with an odd smile

Ronnie smiled innocently at Stella and walked towards the doorway, however instead of leaving she stood behind Stella mouthing 'is this her?'

Mac's eyes widened with chagrin and as firmly as he could told Ronnie to leave without giving himself away "That'll be all Ronnie. Thanks"

Ronnie smirked impishly and winked "I get ya boss, later" she left and Stella watched her go with amusement.

"You know who she reminds me of…" started Stella

"…Don?" finished Mac

Stella chuckled with surprise "That must be one of his three famous sisters eh?"

"That'd be the one. Two Flacks in one place, I don't know if we have the man power to handle that"

They both smiled for a moment with Mac stopping first when he found that he had probably been staring.

Stella paused and sat on Mac's desk, drumming her fingers lightly on the wood. "So. Who is this mystery woman? Anyone I might know?"

Mac swallowed, gave her one of his infamous unreadable smiles and tried to veer the subject in an all together different course.

"You didn't really come here to ask me about my love life did you now?"

Stella clapped her hands together lightly with amusement "Smooth. All right, keep your secrets. I've uh…just got some cases for you to put your stamp of approval on" She placed the folders down on a clear space on Mac's desk and then stood up to leave.

When she got to the door way she turned back and almost as an afterthought turned to face Mac again.

"Whoever she is. Good luck with her, don't be afraid to take chances" she commented

Mac thanked her for advice and thought of how much the saying 'easier said than done' applied to Stella's advice.

* * *

Chad, resident lab tech jerked his head up as he felt a tap on the shoulder, only to be startled further when he turned from the microscope and recognised the person who had poked him/

"You've got to be shi…" he exclaimed and before he could say anything else she was hugging him tightly

When she let go of him Chad was laughing as he stared the girl who he'd attended college with. When he'd first met her, he'd been of the opinion that she was more than a little lacking in the brain department and was wondering how she'd even got onto the course he was on, however when they were forced to work together in a class, she'd helped him out with a complicated essay and he realised that he'd greatly underestimated her. Soon after that they'd become firm friends. Thick as thieves, always getting into trouble. They'd promised to keep in touch but then Ronnie had dropped out just before graduation and he hadn't heard from her again until just now.

"What the hell? Are you stalking me now?" he smirked and leant back against his work bench

Ronnie chuckled "You wish doll, no. I work here now. Wow. I can't believe I'm going to be working with 'the Chad' again"

"Sounds like you missed me" he grinned

She nodded sincerely "Sure did, so…how have you been?"

He shrugged his lean shoulders "The same. You know me, just because I'm a highly paid and well respected scientist, doesn't mean I'll forget my roots" he deadpanned

Ronnie chuckled again and then noticed the expression on his face "Oh…I reek huh? Sorry! I had to help move a decomp and one of the guys in pathology threw up on me. I thought it was the rookies who were supposed to be puking up all over the place"

She smoothed the blue work issue jumpsuit she'd had to wear and sighed, wrinkling her nose. "I don't smell that bad do I?"

"You smell heavenly. Oh…wait nah…that puke did catch up with you. Phew! Stand back please" he pinched his nose dramatically

Ronnie nodded in mock-sad acceptance. "I'm going to need a long hot bath"

Chad smirked "With that image, I'm going to need a long cold shower"

Ronnie snorted with laughter and Chad smirked, she still had her same embarrassing laugh. He wondered why he hadn't thought to try and get in contact with her via Flack. Then he remembered why and his mood dampened slightly.

Danny walked into the lab clutching some evidence baggies. "Hey, not interrupting am I?"

Ronnie smiled brightly "Nope. Chad and I were just talking about taking a long bath"

Danny's brilliant eyes widened behind his glasses and he resisted a smirk "I'm not even going to ask. Could you guys put this on the top of your list?"

Chad deadpanned "Only if you'll take me out to dinner?"

Ronnie laughed and ruffled Chad's hair "I've missed that sense of humour of yours. Later"

Danny's eyebrows rose again "Huh. So Chad, you also know Veronica then?"

Danny smiled pleasantly in response to the dirty look Ronnie gave him for using her whole name and walked back out of the lab.

Chad looked at the petite woman beside him with a very amused grin "Veronica eh? As in Archie comics Veronica? You always told me, your name was Ronnie Flack and only that"

Ronnie wrinkled her nose "Well I may have lied about that. Don't think I won't find your dark and dirty skeletons"

Chad smirked "Good luck, I'm cleaner than Jesus, Veronica"

She elbowed him sharply and he laughed at the reaction "Wow, all your sexual aggression coming out huh?"

"Shut up and tell me where the security tapes from the Stella's shooting are"

He rummaged around on his desk and handed her a sealed paper bag "Here you go, lady"

"So tell me a little something Ronnie, how did someone as entertaining as you end up a nerdy lab rat? You always said you'd be a lawyer coz you loved to talk. There's no glory in this work" he continued

"Turns out I'm a science geek, I just wanted…what all good science geeks want, to find out answers to questions" she replied

"Nice answer. Did you put that on your CV?"

"_Totally_"

He chuckled "Listen, I have work to catch up with, but do you want to meet up later, grab a coffee, talk…reminisce. You can tell me where you disappeared to final year of college"

Ronnie had been having the same idea to meet with him and catch up but her smile fell when he mentioned college.

"I'll see if I can get off work, but I probably can't, first day and all. See you around" she said abruptly and left

Chad watched her go, left with the distinct feeling that he'd just been given the brush off.

* * *

Now working alongside each other; George and Don stepped out of his car and stared at their new surroundings. The NYC college campus was typical in many respects of many other colleges, students sat on the closely shorn green lawns, relaxing with their friends, some studying, others walked around; some headed to classes others to their dorms or out of the campus.

"This brings back memories" smirked Don, he thought fondly of his old college days

George tilted her head towards the main office and didn't answer, for her college was not quite as memorable.

The dean was a short, remarkably shrill and well dressed woman who after much muttering about what a police visit would do for the school's reputation; lead them to James Allen's office, which consequently was just as messy and in disarray as his home had been. It had also been thoroughly searched.

"Wow. Looks like the killer got here first" muttered George so that only Don could hear, he nodded and then turned to the dean

"Dean Markham, did anyone else besides yourself and Professor Allen have access to his office?"

She looked thoughtful "I suppose his ex-wife might have, she came here sometimes to discuss their children…you didn't hear it from me but I heard she was planning on applying for full custody and she was re-marrying. James wasn't at all happy with this"

As Don and Heather Markham further discussed the break up of James Allen's marriage and the popularity of his creative writing class; George examined the office and noticed a bright red bottle of nail varnish underneath some papers on the desk, she wrapped a handkerchief from her pocket around her finger tips and gently lifted the papers, surprised to come across a hot pink bra, she held it up so that both Don and Markham could see.

"Did Mr. Allen have a lot of…guests in his office? A girlfriend perhaps?" she asked almost conversationally

Markham tutted "We didn't disapprove of that sort of thing…it didn't set a good example to the students but uhm…you didn't hear it from me, but apparently James had quite the fling with a society princess from the Upper West a couple of months back, her name was Arabella West, very pretty girl, they broke up…but you didn't…"

"…Hear it from you?" finished Flack dryly

The dean nodded primly "Well detectives, I can see you have work to do, if you have any further questions, I'll be in my office"

She tottered away on her heels leaving the two detectives smirking to themselves.

George returned to the room "Somehow I don't think a 'society princess' like Arabella West is going to be leaving her underwear lying around some college professor's office"

Flack ran a gloved hand over Allen's bookshelf hoping to find clues "I've heard about her" he suddenly looked sheepish "My sisters read the society pages, won't shut up about who is in and who is out…anyway, Arabella's supposed to be engaged to this Greek shipping heir Paris Narchios. I think they've been together for about a year"

George caught on quick "Which would make things quite awkward for her and her boyfriend James. That sounds a lot like motive…"

He nodded and smirked "Looks like we're headed west"


	3. A to B

**Summary: This is a tale about the lives and loves of the people of New York, mainly that of it's New York City Police Department. Character based fic, two new main OC's. It's fun! **

**Disclaimer: You can see my disclaimer on my user page.**

**A/N: The chapters are still a little short but they will grow in size as I 'break in' the characters...that sounds dubious. Thanks for your support reviewers!**

* * *

Mac looked up at his new lab technician with a smile. She certainly was…talkative. She'd been sent into his office to sort out her work timetable, schedules and so forth which would have normally taken no more than ten minutes, but once that had been taken care of she still remained almost half an hour later, discussing his love life of all things. 

He found that Ronnie Flack was just as confident and outspoken-if not more so-than her older brother. Just in the way she perched at the end of the leather chair opposite him talking animatedly. He thought at first he could avoid her tricky questions when the subject matter switched from work to romance (he couldn't' quite remember how that had happened) but Ronnie was sly and tricky. She'd formed her own conclusions, and even from the vague answers he'd given her she'd managed to work out that he had feelings for someone he worked with.

"Veronica?" he started

"Ronnie" she interrupted quickly

"I really have things I need to get on with" he hadn't minded her company before but he really did have things to do and he was really uncomfortable with his love life coming under scrutiny.

"Okay boss, I've been talking all this time. I better let you do your job eh?" she said with a rakish grin

"Uh thanks for that" smiled Mac

"Oh yeah and good luck with your _'mystery woman'_. I will work out who she is sooner or later y'know" she commented as she moved towards the door.

As if on cue the door opened and Stella walked in, under her arm a few folders.

"What mystery woman?" she asked with an odd smile

Ronnie smiled innocently at Stella and walked towards the doorway, however instead of leaving she stood behind Stella mouthing _'is this her?'_

Mac's eyes widened with chagrin and as firmly as he could told Ronnie to leave without giving himself away "That'll be all Ronnie. Thanks"

Ronnie smirked impishly "I get ya boss, later" she left and Stella watched her go with amusement.

"You know who she reminds me of…" started Stella

"…Don?" finished Mac

Stella chuckled with surprise "That must be one of his three famous sisters eh?"

"That'd be the one. Two Flacks in one place, I don't know if we have the man power to handle that"

They both smiled for a moment with Mac stopping first when he found himself looking too much at the flecks of gold in Stella's eyes.

Stella paused and sat on Mac's desk, drumming her fingers lightly on the wood. "So. Who is this mystery woman? Anyone I might know?"

Mac swallowed, gave her one of his infamous unreadable smiles and tried to veer the subject in an all together different course.

"You didn't really come here to ask me about my love life did you now?"

Stella clapped her hands together lightly with amusement "_Smooth_. All right, keep your secrets. I've uh…just got some cases for you to put your stamp of approval on" She placed the folders down on a clear space on Mac's desk and then stood up to leave.

When she got to the door way she turned back and almost as an afterthought turned to face Mac again.

"Whoever she is. Good luck with her, don't be afraid to take chances" she commented

Mac thanked her for advice and thought of how much the saying 'easier said than done' applied to Stella's advice.

* * *

Ronnie poked Chad on the shoulder and he jumped from the microscope his eyes widening as he recognised the petite blonde. 

"You've got to be shi…" he exclaimed and before he could say anything else she was hugging him tightly

When she let go of him Chad was laughing as he stared the girl who he'd attended college with, at first she'd come off as to be blunt; more than a little lacking in the brain department, but then they were forced to work together in a class, she'd helped him out with a complicated essay and he realised that he'd greatly underestimated her. Soon after that they'd become firm friends. Thick as thieves, always getting into trouble. Ronnie was sarcastic, quirky and a _lot _of fun. They'd promised to keep in touch but then Ronnie had dropped out just before graduation and he hadn't heard from her again.

"What the hell? Are you stalking me now?" he smirked and leant back against his stool

Ronnie chuckled "You wish doll, no. I work here now. Wow. I can't believe I'm going to be working with the Chad again"

"Sounds like you missed me" he grinned

She nodded sincerely "Sure did, so…how have you been?"

He shrugged his lean shoulders "The same. You know me, just because I'm a highly paid and well respected scientist, doesn't mean I'll forget my roots" he deadpanned

Ronnie chuckled again and then noticed the expression on his face "Oh…I do smell don't I? Sorry! My first case as a so called 'lab rat' was this decomp, I had this cop who'd been working here a while throw up on me. I thought it was the newbie's who were supposed to be puking up all over the place"

She smoothed the blue work issue jumpsuit she'd had to wear and sighed, wrinkling her nose. "I don't smell that bad do I?"

"You smell heavenly. Oh…wait no…that decomp did catch up with you. Phew! Stand back please" he pinched his nose dramatically

Ronnie nodded in mock-sad acceptance. "I'm going to need a long hot bath"

Chad smirked "With that image, I'm going to need a long cold shower"

Ronnie snorted with laughter and Chad smirked, she still had her same embarrassing laugh. He wondered why he hadn't thought to try and get in contact with her via Flack. Then he remembered why and his mood dampened slightly.

Danny walked into the lab clutching some evidence baggies. "Hey, not interrupting am I?"

Ronnie smiled brightly "Nope. Chad and I were just talking about taking a long bath"

Danny's brilliant eyes widened behind his glasses and he resisted a smirk "I'm not even going to ask. Could you guys put this on the top of your list? Please?"

Chad deadpanned "Only if you'll take me out to dinner?"

Ronnie laughed and ruffled Chad's hair "I've missed that sense of humour of yours. Later"

Danny's eyebrows rose again "Huh. So Chad you also know _Veronica _then?"

Danny smiled pleasantly at the dirty look Ronnie gave him for using her whole name and walked out of the lab.

Chad looked at the petite woman beside him with a very amused grin "Veronica eh? As in Archie comics; Veronica? You always told me, your name was Ronnie Flack and _only_ that"

Ronnie gave him a dirty look "Don't think I won't find your dark and dirty skeletons"

Chad smirked "Good luck, I'm cleaner than Jesus, _Veronica_"

She elbowed him sharply and he laughed at the reaction "Wow, all your sexual aggression coming out huh?"

"Shut up and tell me where the security tapes from the Stella's shooting are"

He rummaged around on his desk and handed her a sealed paper bag "Here you go, lady"

"So tell me a little something Ronnie, how did someone as entertaining as you become a lab rat? You always said you'd be a lawyer coz you loved to talk. There's no glory in this work" he continued

"Turns out I'm a science geek, I just wanted…what all good science geeks want, to find out answers to questions" she replied

"Nice. Listen, I have work to catch up with, but do you want to meet up later, grab a coffee, talk…reminisce. You can tell me where you disappeared to final year of college"

Ronnie had been having the same idea to meet with him and catch up but her smile fell when he mentioned the college issue. "I'll see if I can get off work, but I probably can't. See you around" she said abruptly and left

Chad watched her go, left with the distinctly feeling like he'd just been given the brush off.

* * *

George andDon stepped out of the car and stared at their new surroundings. The NYC college campus was typical in many respects of many other colleges, students sat on the closely shorn green lawns, relaxing with their friends, some studying, others walked around; some headed to classes others to their dorms or out of the campus. 

"This brings back memories" smirked Don, he thought fondly of his old college days

George tilted her head towards the main office and didn't answer, she only began to walk towards it, for her college was not quite as memorable

The dean of the school-Heather Markham; a short, remarkably shrill and well dressed woman- lead them to James Allen's office, which consequently was just as messy and in disarray as his home had been. It had also been thoroughly searched.

"Wow. Looks like the killer got here first" muttered George so that only Don could hear, he absorbed this fact then turned to the dean

"Mrs. Markham, did anyone else _besides _yourself and Professor Allen have access to his office?"

She looked thoughtful "I suppose his ex-wife might have, she came here sometimes to discuss their children…you didn't hear it from me but I heard she was planning on applying for full custody _and _she was re-marrying. James wasn't at all happy with this"

As Don and Heather Markham further discussed the break up of James Allen's marriage and the popularity of his creative writing class; George examined the office and noticed a bright red bottle of nail varnish underneath some papers on the desk, she wrapped a handkerchief from her pocket around her finger tips and gently lifted the papers, surprised to come across a girly hot pink bra, she held it up so that both Don and Markham could see.

"Did Mr. Allen have a lot of…guests in his office? A girlfriend perhaps?" she asked almost conversationally

Markham tutted "We didn't disapprove of that sort of thing…it didn't set a good example to the students but uhm…you didn't hear it from me, but apparently James had quite the fling with a society princess from the Upper West a couple of months back, her name was Arabella West, very pretty girl, they broke up…but you didn't…"

"…Hear it from you?" finished Flack dryly

The dean nodded primly "Well detectives, I can see you have work to do, if you have any further questions, I'll be in my office"

She tottered away on her heels leaving the two detectives smirking to themselves.

George returned to the room "Somehow I don't think a 'society princess' like Arabella West is going to be leaving her underwear lying around some college professor's office"

Flack ran a gloved hand over Allen's bookshelf hoping to find clues "I've heard about her-my sister reads the society pages, won't shut up about who is in and who is out…anyway, Arabella's supposed to be engaged to this Greek shipping heir Paris Narchios. For about a year…"

George caught on quick "At about the same time she was also seeing our vic. That sounds a lot like motive…"

He nodded and smirked "Looks like we're headed west"

* * *

**A/N: I refer to Flack by his first name because it might get confusing just calling him 'Flack' seeing as there are now two Flacks...: ) Anyway, hope you like my two new characters.**


	4. Apply Some Pressure

**Apply Some Pressure**

**Summary: This is a tale about the lives and loves of the people of New York, mainly that of it's New York City Police Department. Character based fic, two new main OC's. It's fun!**

**Disclaimer: You can see my disclaimer on my user page. **

* * *

Arabella West was beautiful. With sleek ice blonde hair, ivory skin that had rarely known a blemish, a sharp slightly upturned nose, lips that were perfectly full and she dressed immaculately, in the latest designs, always high end, she came out in hives wearing 'off the rack'. 

When she greeted Georgina and Donat the door of her minimalist, coldly chic apartment even George could appreciate her cold beauty.

"Detectives" she said in her well bred soft elegant voice, she had an eye for detail and quickly picked up on the badges the two cops were wearing

"Can I help you?"

They introduced themselves and then Don spoke "Actually yes, we'd like to talk to you about James Allen. Are you going to let us in ma'am?"

She smiled pleasantly and opened her door further "But of course, do come in. It's terribly cold out there"

She offered them both a seat once they were all inside and both Don and George declined but accepted her offer of coffee which she discreetly asked a passing maid to make.

"So, what is it that you'd like to discuss?" began Arabella

"Well Ms. West, as we mentioned earlier, we're here to discuss with you Professor James Allen. Do you know him?" began George

Arabella folded well manicured hands into her lap. "Well, yes. Professor Allen used to…be an old family friend. He and my father...and my uncle were good friends, he used to visit often"

Don nodded "The dean at NYU says he and you had a fling a few months back, care to elaborate?"

Arabella sighed quietly "Before I continue, I ask that you keep this quiet…I'm about to be married and the news would be very damaging to my…relationship, my reputation and that of my fiancée"

George exchanged a look with Flack then slowly agreed "We'll be as discreet as the case allows us to be"

Arabella let out another reluctant sigh "Well, I suppose my story will be rather clichéd. Paris was forever going to clubs, partying, I felt…as my mother had arranged most of our dates, that I was only marrying him for status…and I was rather unhappy with the idea, anyway, James…_Professor _Allen, came to see my father one night to play snooker…or something and my father had to work late…Professor Allen spoke to me, he understood what I was going through…then of course…one thing lead to another" she twisted the obviously flawless diamond engagement ring on her hand guiltily

George noted something down "Did _you_ break it off?"

"Yes, I…You see, Paris found out that his father had lymphoma six months ago. He was devastated, especially when his father didn't appear to have any intention of leaving the company to him. He called Paris, _irresponsible_, Paris was quite angry at him for about...a month, then his father's condition worsened and he simply…changed overnight, he became more focused and dedicated to his work…I saw a different side of him and, well I fell in love with him. I just had to break things off with James…um…_Professor_ Allen, it just wasn't right"

George and Don shared a wry look as the maid entered with a silver tray of three expensive gold gilded coffee cups and handed one each to the three people in the room.

Arabella dismissed her with an unusual amount of coolness, before leaving, the maid shot an anxious glance over her shoulder that George didn't miss.

"Excuse me, Ms. West, would you mind if I used your bathroom?" asked George with a sheepish smile

Arabella waved her hand in permission airily "Yes…of course. It's the fifth door on your right"

"Thanks" the curly haired detective then left the room, with no intention of going to the bathroom and every intention of finding the maid. If there was one thing she knew about wealthy homes, it was that the 'help' always knew_ everything. _

* * *

"How long was the affair?" said Don momentarily 

The heiress lifted her head up and smiled sadly "Too long. Almost a year."

"Any trouble? Allen was all right with you just suddenly up and dumping him?"

"Yes, he understood. James_ always_ understood. "

"Have you ever been to James' office, left any items of yours around?"

"No, never. Someone might have seen me, James and I usually used to meet up in this quaint little studio that I had during my 'artist phase' or sometimes at his apartment but I was sure never to leave anything there"

"Did your father know? Or anyone else for that matter?"

She shook her head in horror "Oh, G_od no_. Detective, _no one_ knew" she almost whispered

Don raised his eyebrows unconvincingly but didn't comment.

* * *

"Oh!" the maid gave a startled jump, a petite red head with a freckly face and a bubbly disposition. 

"Hi, I'm Detective Georgina Wheil…call me George. I just wondered if you might be able to help me out on a few routine questions" smiled George pleasantly she stepped into the vast, immaculate kitchen and walked over to the gleaming marble food top where the maid was.

The maid winced "_Oh_, I knew this would happen"

"Knew what would happen?" asked George innocently, even though her mind was already noting down the maid as a possible suspect "So what's your name?"

"Siobhan Doherty"

"That Irish?"

"No. French. What do you think...Urgh. Sorry I'm just a bit nervy you know?"

"That's okay"

"Look, all I know is that…Mrs. Ice Queen in there ain't the only member of this house that took James' fancy" Siobhan's hand flew to her mouth as she realised what she'd done and George smiled grimly

"Would that other person be yourself?" she encouraged

Siobhan groaned and backed into the counter "Oh, would you hold it against me if I said…yes?" Listen, I knew James from way back when, when I was just a waitress, trying to make it here with no help from the family"

He came back…the night he first got together with her he was really here to see me. I'm sure of it, she just…wrapped him around her little finger. It was so stupid getting into a love triangle like that…gosh, it was more a love square what with Paris too"

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet in shame

George resisted a surprised whistle and cleared her throat "So Paris knew? Did he confront Arabella?"

Siobhan snorted "Please! As if he would, what with him being broke and all, why is he going to give up his little gold mine eh? You tell me"

"You sound a little more than bitter don't you?"

The redhead scowled "She didn't deserve James, he dumped me for her and better life and then he sees me again and tries it on…I really should have said no. Then…oh…I miss him" she began to sob suddenly and George looked around nervously she hadn't the best idea what to say

"Did Ms. West know about you two was she kind of pissed off?"

Siobhan spat bitterly her eyes narrowed "Of course she knew. That bitch, she did it just so she could rub it in my face! That she dumped him and she could get him back again if she wanted, urgh…oh I really shouldn't have drunk so much. I've said way…too much" she realised after a while

"I'm just sad he's gone you know?…oh I was listening in, that's how I know he's dead. I don't know what hold she had over him. Listen, if you don't need me anymore, I might just take my break, I've said way too bloody much"

"Of course, I just want to ask when was the last time you saw the professor and if you've ever visited his office at the NYU campus"

Finally the maid began to realise that this wasn't just George being polite and letting herself unburden her problems.

"What's this all about then?"

George swallowed and looked apologetic "I'm sorry to break this to you, but James was found dead yesterday in his home"

"Oh, I knew it!" cried Siobhan, at George's look she explained "I mean, a place like that! It just reeked of all sorts of suspicious aura. It's awful for James though...I don't know why he even liked the place"

The detective raised her eyebrows and then repeated her earlier questions.

Siobhan rolled her eyes "I'd _never _go to his office, what if someone saw me? I mean, my younger brother goes there, that's too risky. I went to his place sometimes but I haven't been there in about a month. The last time I saw James? A month ago. I can't believe he's _dead. _Can I go now?"

"That's fine with me, you've been more than enough help" George headed back to the living room where Don was just concluding the conversation with Arabella.

"Thanks for the help miss. We'll be in touch" he stepped outside, followed by George he waited till they were in the car before he asked her

"All right, where did you really go?"

George smirked scribbling notes down as Don drove "Well, I spoke to the maid-Siobhan Doherty-found out some very interesting things, apparently she was James' other bit on the side and not only did 'the Ice Queen'-her words not mine- know all this, but she loved to flaunt the fact in Siobhan's face. Oh and Paris, dirt broke and the maid? A little bit of a drinker. Scandalous huh?"

He nodded in agreement "And it's only just beginning. Dad was having some money problems and James knew, I'm thinking we stick around the West family a little longer"

* * *

Mac eyed the video footage sadly.

"Okay, pause it there Ronnie"The blonde did as he asked and studied the frozen still image of a young boy crying, a hand on his shoulder, the owner of the hand not visible

"Can I just…" she spoke up in the silence

Mac nodded and gave his consent. Ronnie typed something into the computer and then enlarged the hand on the boy's shoulder, to reveal signet ring.

"Those are a dime a dozen in New York, cheap little things" she said faintly "But uh…there's a crest, I don't know who it belongs to but it looks like one of those old family ones. I could try and clear up the pixellation but the security footage is pretty bad"

Mac shook his head "It doesn't matter, I recognise it anyway. It's the West family crest, they have an inflated…sense of power. Created that crest in about the 70's and tried to pass themselves off as old money"

Ronnie turned her head upwards so she could look at him "Are you serious? West family? As in Arabella West and Paris Narchios?"

"Your _aware_ of them?"

"_Hell yea_…Ahem. _Of course_, _everyone_ knows they've never really fitted in with so called'old money', theytried to get into these aristocratic social scenes that have been around for centuries but they don't quite cut the mustard. You think that…one of them is…abusing little kids?" she finished in disgust

"I won't decide anything till I have all the evidence. Which right now, is the only thing we can trust"

Ronnie nodded sheepishly "I was getting ahead of myself there"

Mac smiled gently "Go on to the next reel"

She proceeded to do so and it was after a few seconds when she realised something. "Wait, uh Mac…there's something wrong with this. It's all on loop"

He frowned, his mouth wearing away into a thin line. She nodded surely.

"Yeah, look" she rewound the tape and he spotted what she had noticed, the faint flickering throughout the footage. It would show the busy, high end shopping department, the son going missing, then later being seen lead away by a mysterious stranger as he cried.

"Someone tampered with this" he made a mental note to talk to the security guards department store "Is it irreversible?" he asked scratching his chin

Ronnie fiddled with the buttons on the visual analysis technical board before nodding "Looks like it, but I can find out when it was looped, but that'll take me an hour or so"

He nodded briefly "Thanks. You've done well" with that he left the room and she smiled faintly to herself. It appeared that fitting in wouldn't be as complicated as she thought. With that in her head she returned to the security footage.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter wasn't as 'funny' as the rest, it's still lighter than some of myfic_(if you do find it funny though that really wasn't my intention)_but anyway,the mood will get lighter don't worry. Now that I have OpenOffice I'll be able to check my work better! Woo, less grammer mistakes. Lastly,it's a new year and one of my resolutions is to be a better poster.**


	5. How it is

**A/N: Thank you hotchner, NevermindDream and Axellia for the reviews, I'll try and return the favour ASAP!**

* * *

Grinning gleefully the petite Ronnie sped down the bright light halls of the forensic department intending to find Mac's office and greet him with the new video evidence she'd uncovered. Minutes passed and she slowly began to realise she was lost. Cursing she stood back against a wall and tried to remember where Mac's office was from the introductory leaflet she had at home with handy directions.

"Waiting for someone?" she looked up and saw the now familiar smirk from Danny

"No. Just chilling out. You know how it is" she shot back, loathed to ask him or anyone else for help

He grinned "_Right._ Well you're kind of in my way...I have to speak to Mac. You know how it is"

Ronnie looked around slowly and realised she was standing in front of Mac's door and _not _the wall she had thought she had been leaning against "Oh! This is his office! You guys really need like labels on the doors or something...a...person...could get confused" she muttered

Danny tapped his foot and raised an eyebrow "So would you mind moving out of the way rookie? I got to speak to Mac"

She remembered her own news and grinned slyly before replying; "Me first" and then with the hand behind her back opened the door and stepped into the office she then shut it behind her just as Danny was about to protest

* * *

Don yawned and walked over to his new partner's desk which was already impeccably organised he wasn't surprised to find her still working because it was common for the 'new guy' to put in extra work in order to make a good impression _(the only exception to this being Ronnie who was impatiently waiting for him in his car)_ but they had both pulled a long shift driving all over Manhattan talking to the West family's numerous connections.

"You know the case will still be here tomorrow at 9 in the morning when we start the next shift" he said not able to disguise another yawn

George peered around her computer wearing a pair of black framed square glasses and smiled pleasantly ,impossibly awake "You go ahead, I'm just reading up on the West family history. It's like some seamy Jackie Collins novel, which by the way I have _never _read"

He smiled "I'm sure." then added seriously "We're going to catch the killer, you need a mind that's y'know awake...if you really want to impress Mac"

She pinched the bridge of her nose "I'm not trying to impress...well I am but...I'm a work-a-holic anyway. I'm not even tired yet. You...sleep. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow"

Don was too tired to argue further "All right. Night" he muttered through another yawn

George had already returned to her computer but she did manage to give him a half hearted wave over the top of her monitor

* * *

Don headed down to the parking lot, meeting Danny on the way.

"You look like crap by the way" said Danny brightly to his slightly taller friend

Don rolled his eyes "Well gee thanks, you look god awful too"

Danny smirked "I do try. You want to go grab a beer?" he ruffled his own already dishevelled hair and scanned his watch "The usual place?"

Don shook his head as they reached the lift that would take them to the roof where the parking lot was located.

"Nah, Ronnie's moving in with me. I'm helping her move her stuff in tonight, I'm tired but...it'll never get done if I'm not there to watch her, Ronnie gets distracted like..." he paused to click his fingers "_that_"

His friend scoffed "You make her sound like a kid"

The lift doors opened with a 'ping' at the parking lot and they headed towards Don's car as he admitted that his sister was not perhaps as immature as he made her out to be.

"She's not a kid...she's just...drives me crazy. I'm her brother, I worry, what can I say?" he grinned as he arrived at the car where Ronnie was impatiently leaning and muttering about Don taking his 'sweet time'.

"Is he still following you around? You _need _to get a restraining order, fast" she quipped in Danny's direction

Danny raised his hands in the air in exasperation, Don grumbled "Ronnie..." pleadingly and she shrugged

"Sorry, but you know I hate waiting"

He dangled his keys in front of her, she snatched them and opened the car door then got in

"Beer next time right? A round on me" promised Don

Danny looked thoughtful "Why don't I help you unpack? I've got to ask you opinion on something anyway"

His friend snorted "You want to help _her?" _he looked at his car window where Ronnie was making exaggerated gestures at her watch through the glass.

Danny chuckled "Ordinarily..._no_...but what I've got to say can't wait"

Don shrugged and rapped on the door to the drivers seat which Ronnie opened he looked over at Danny before getting in "All right, drive behind us. It's your funeral"

* * *

**A/N: I appear to be ignoring George, its so much easier to write for Ronnie but don't worry George will get more attention as this goes on.**

**Sorry about the lack of posting, as an apology I'm putting up another chapter right after this one.**


	6. Flattery Then Nowhere

"It's not that heavy _quit _whining" snapped Ronnie

Don glared at her "You said it was just a couple of books!"

His sister decided against another snappy retort and smiled sweetly "Donnie! You _know _I need those for studying, I have an evaluation exam in a few months I don't want to mess up the first good job I've ever had"

Danny re-entered Don's apartment towards the kitchen, with another box of Ronnie's belongings just in time to hear the exchange and couldn't resist laughing wondering how it was that the irrepressible Ronnie went from sassy and wise cracking to innocent and sweet so easily.

Don relented, not because he had fallen for Ronnie's innocent act but rather because he was too tired to argue "All right, whatever" he shuffled with the heavy box into the room that was to be hers it was small and had been a study but it was good enough to use

"Wow, I feel sorry for him" quipped Danny

Ronnie tossed back blonde hair as she looked up and rolled her eyes "Is that the last of the boxes?"

Danny nodded and then smirked as something caught his eye, he picked out a framed photo of Don sometime in his early twenties dressed as Batman and Ronnie in her late teens in a Wonder Woman costume and their two other sisters dressed as Catwoman and a pirate. His smile widened and he put down the box on the kitchen counter, wondering what further pictures he could find in there that would work well as blackmail material against Ronnie.

"Hey! No looking!" exclaimed Ronnie suddenly and tried to reach for the picture bu the taller Danny merely held it up over his head

"Wow, this is...fantastic. My god, your hair is _massive_..." he grinned cheerily

"It was the eighties! I was young! Hand it over now" she tried to jump up and almost had the picture when Danny held it behind his back still grinning

"Your _such _a tool, I would have thought a detective would have a little more respect. _Hand it over_" she complained and tried reaching around him but he kept her at arm's length

"You have to start being nice to me first" he teased quite enjoying the feel of her against him, but he was quickly brought down to earth when Don re-entered and Ronnie turned her attention to her brother.

"Hey your little friend here is a thief" she exclaimed and Danny voiced his objections "I resent that! I am _not _little"

Don held his hands up in exasperation "You two are like kids up in here, Danny get over here and tell me what you wanted to say and Ronnie...go somewhere where I can't here you"

His sister shrugged and used this opportunity to snatch back her photo with a quick _ah-hah _"Okay, I'll leave you two ladies alone. I'm going to bed"

She yawned as if to point out how tired she was and managed a 'goodnight' to which both Danny and Don replied the same.

"Can you imagine, God knows how long with that mouth in the place?" grumbled Don about his sister

Danny couldn't help chuckling "This isn't strictly coming from a professional opinion but I say take lots of Valium then you can pretty much tune her out"

His friend laughed wryly "Tune her out? I can only _dream_" then his expression became serious "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Danny's features mimicked his "It's Aiden. I'm worried about her"

Don nodded "The rape case? There's always one that gets to everyone...she'll deal with it. She's tough"

Danny shook his head sadly "I don't think so"

* * *

Stella smiled slowly and Mac gave her an odd look.

"It wasn't _that _funny" he said quickly as he tried to glower atSheldon Hawke's retreating figure still chagrined at the remark the man had made about him being too 'straight laced'

Stella cleared her throat "_Right._ Well listen, I did some more research and I spoke to some people...anyway, did you know that of all the West family the only one I couldn't find a thing about was the eldest son Adrian? Well, I did some more digging, found out that like all the men in the family he was given one of those _ugly _family crest rings which he promptly pawned off to some..." she paused and rummaged in the folder clasped under her arm "Leon Grybowzky, who is on the sex offenders list..." she trailed off, the implication heavy in her sentence

Mac nodded "We've got him now, if we match up the prints we found on the kid...Good work Stella"

She shrugged affably "Lets just go find this creep"

* * *

A few hours later Mac stepped into the interrogation room where an angry looking Stella was pacing in an intimidating fashion around a hunched over bored looking man.

"You must be Mr. Grybowzky" said Mac calmly

Stella looked up "_This_ guy" she spat "hasn't said a word. Decided to plead the 5th." she muttered something incomprehensible

Mac nodded "That's fine, Stella. We have more than enough evidence" he laid out his case brief in front of the suspect as he spoke

"We have...your prints...on the body, several witnesses that recognised you from the department store. Hairs found in your apartment that matched the victim and video footage of you taking the boy. I can see why you'd want to stay quiet Mr. Grybowzky, things don't look too good for you"

Leon's posture straightened as each piece of evidence was driven home but he retained his stony silent despite the uncertainty glaring from his dull eyes.

Mac raised his head slightly and noted Stella's smug grin then stared back at Leon "You can stay as quiet as you like, you're still going away for a long time" and then with that he swept the papers of evidence back into a folder and walked out of the room.

Stella followed him out, leaving Leon to be led away in hand cuffs by a uniformed officer. She caught up with Mac and gave him a gentle pat on the back.

"Good show" she grinned

Mac glanced at her and was unable to match the energy in her grin but managed a smile back. "It was nothing" he admitted

She shook her head "No, really I'm impressed. It takes a lot of..._chutzpah _to keep cool with an asshole like Grybowzky but you did it. _Finally_..."

He looked at her to continue her sentence and she smirked cheekily "_Finally _I realise why you have your job. I always thought it was down to bribes"

At this he chuckled and then checked his watch "I have to do the final report. Well done on this, give my thanks to Don's sister"

Stella checked her own watch "I'll do that tomorrow. I'm kind of late right now"

When he didn't ask she added; "A date"

Mac raised his eyebrows "Have fun" he said pleasantly she smiled back and then headed towards the changing rooms, he watched her go for a full second longer than he should have and then walked towards his office, wondering how he could have felt so elated at her compliment and then so low moments later.

* * *

**A/N: What do y'all think of Ronnie and George my two new characters? Criticise away, I always try and improve even if the process of said improvement is slow. Is this fic still funny or do I need to up the comedy? Or is less more? Come on people, talk to me!**


	7. Tasks In Hand

"She's kind of..." Ronnie trailed off looking at her brother's partner who was still typing furiously at her computer, her desk was already a mess and she had several empty cups of coffee lying around.

Don elbowed her "What?"

Ronnie held up her hands and went over to the vending machine which had been the reason for her walking down to her brother's 'turf', as the one in the forensics department was broken.

"Nothing!" she said inserting some coins into the machine and picking a chocolate bar

"What?" he pushed again

Ronnie shrugged "Well, look at the shoes...they're really..._sturdy_"

He gave his sister a dirty look "She's new, as are _you, _try and be nice?"

Ronnie shrugged again as she picked her chocolate bar from the machine and unwrapped it "She's kind of tomboy-ish. That's all I'm saying...so don't start hitting on her like you usually would cause she so doesn't look like the type to take that kind of crap"

It was Thursday morning and Don had his first headache, he wasn't positive but he was beginning to think it truly was because of Ronnie's constant presence. When she was around he worried and worried and worried and he had to admit that couldn't be healthy. The same could be said for how much she irritated him all at the same time. But he supposed as his baby sister, that was her job.

"All right I'll see you later' she said and with a wave disappeared into a lift and back to her work

Don walked over to his desk which was adjacent to George's and greeted her cheerfully only for her not to answer.

"Hello again." he tried

George finally looked up and he noted that her eyes looked slightly red as if she hadn't slept well. "Hope you slept well last night coz today's going to be a bitch" he said brightly

George looked uneasy "Err...yeah" she moved on to another subject "So I found out that James was at home all night on his death, apparently he had a pizza delivered there and uh, the pizza boy swears he saw a woman in there. Blonde he thinks"

Don saw where she was going 'Arabella's a blonde'

'Exactly and her father was...bankrupt, but it shows that James was getting regular 'gifts' of five grand a month from none other than Paris Narchios."

"This just gets more and more interesting, that family's got some weird skeletons in their closet. I assume Mac told you about what happened with his case?"

George nodded "So anyway, I booked another meeting with Arabella she's coming down to the station in about two hours"

Don was clearly impressed 'Nice, good job for a rookie'

* * *

"Coffee?"

Aiden looked up and through the hair covering her face she made out Ronnie's bottle blonde hair and cheery smile, in the other girl's hands two mugs . It was Thursday morning and she had hidden out in the break room to escape her fiancée. She wasn't yet ready for him to know what she'd been feeling.

"Yeah thanks"

Ronnie slid a mug over to her.

"I walked past here earlier and it looked like you could do with a drink, but since your on duty...coffee seemed like the next best thing"

Aiden tried to smile but instead looked even more miserable. Ronnie sat down in front of her and made a stab at conversation.

"You want to talk about it?"

Aiden shook her head dismally "My head is all over the place. I couldn't talk if I wanted to"

"Well, its a good thing I can talk enough for the both of us" grinned Ronnie

Aiden sipped her coffee and looked dubious "I don't know, I just would rather stay on my own and think if that's all right"

The blonde shook her head and insisted on staying "No can do, you look like you need a good distraction"

Before Aiden could protest further Ronnie segued into a long animated mostly one sided conversation about her love life and the many, many faults of men. Although Aiden had initially wanted to be alone she had to admit that she was grateful for Ronnie's big personality which allowed her to escape her worries for a little while at least.

* * *

Don and George sat in front of the well turned out Arabella and Paris, he had the same distinctly wealthy 'look' as his girlfriend. Dark hair in a slick parting expensive navy suit and almost indecently white teeth.

Arabella clearly adored him, constantly shooting looks up at him and simpering when he spoke.

They had both forgone their lawyers but before George and Don had the change to speak to them, the pointed out that said lawyers were on speed dial.

"Well detectives, would you mind explaining why you called my fiancée in to your offices today?" said Paris he spoke excellent English but still managed to maintain a thick Greek accent

"Its to do with the fact that you, Mr. Narchios been giving money to...James Allen on a regular basis to the tune of $5'000 a month. Would you mind explaining why?" said George with icy calm

Arabella glanced up sharply but then tried to retain her cool. "James was a family friend, Paris was merely helping him out"

"You're not Mrs. Narchios yet, why don't you let Paris answer eh?" sniped Don

Arabella looked stung but she stayed silent. Paris replied with a bored calm; 'It's as Arabella says, I was simply helping a friend. Things were difficult for him and besides it made me look good in my dear father to be's books' he chuckled conspiratorially but the two detectives didn't smile

"Didn't look like he was spending that money on anything much, no new cars, the house wasn't exactly a mansion...what were you giving him the money for?" asked Don

"I wouldn't like to say, and I don't feel I have to. It's a personal matter" replied Paris

George sighed "All right, that's your prerogative, but I do find that kind of y'know weird that you were paying off your fiancée's boyfriend"

Arabella looked shocked at her secret being exposed but the real surprise was that Paris didn't appear in the slightest bit surprised. Instead he smoothed his lapels "I knew about my darlings little mistake...it was lonesomeness on her part. I blame myself, always working"

Don now took over "You see it doesn't look like that, while we were waiting for you two to get here, my partner and I did some more digging, you only started depositing funds in Allen's account when Arabella said she split up with him. It also turns out that your father" he looked pointedly at Arabella "Is under investigation with the IRS for fraud. So, you want to fill in the blanks?"

Now Paris reacted "I'm calling my lawyer" he snapped suddenly and got up to do so

Arabella covered her mouth "Leave my father alone" she hissed

George nodded pleasantly "Of course, its none of our business. _Your _far more interesting. Where were you the night James was killed?"

"Don't say another word Arabella!" snapped Paris from the other side of the room as he muttered furiously into his phone

"Jackass" muttered Don under his breath, thankfully only George heard this

"Fine you don't have to talk. Let's see...your father...in trouble with the law, bankrupt, your fiancée heir to billions, your boyfriend...knew about your father and now your boyfriend's paying him off" said George conversationally

"That sounds a lot like motive" smirked Don

Arabella gave them filthy looks as George continued: "You see it sounds like we're just shooting around in the dark but we have a _very _solid theory about what went down. Allen was blackmailing your father, he couldn't pay, so you confessed all to Paris and he started paying Allen off, only something went wrong and Allen wound up dead. If you confess you could get a better stretch than the 25 years to life your looking at now"

Paris looked ashen but remained resolute "We have _nothing _more to say to you and if you are both certain we're guilty then why don't you arrest us?"

Arabella noted their reactions and seemed to visibly relax "Well, if you don't mind Paris I'd like to leave now"

Her fiancée nodded smugly "Of course darling." Then he cast a steely look in the detectives direction as Arabella got to her feet "If you have any further 'theories' to test out why not try seeing if there's any shred of evidence behind them before bothering Arabella and I"

Don sneered "Thanks for the tip"

The couple stalked out with matching expressions of superiority.

"Well that went..." started George angrily and gave up on finishing her sentence in case she said something unrepeatable.

"You know we can't ask them to stick around while we find enough evidence to convict" Don muttered sourly

"Knowing their type...they'll be in Aruba by the time we manage even _that_" added George she leafed dumbly through her papers as if they had answers

"Then it looks like we're pulling in some major overtime" said Don grimly

She inhaled and then nodded determinedly "I'm ready if you are"

He mimicked her expression of focus "Let's do this then."

* * *

**A/N: See! I can post at regular intervals. Anyway, I'm glad I've decided to focus on only this story, now with my attention span it should be done in time for the Olympics...I've just remembered I'm also writing a Donnie Darko one...I need to watch that film again.**

**This chapter is short but I like to keep this story short and sweet, so run with me.**

**Anyway, rant over, what do you think of George?**


	8. Say Goodbye

Ronnie flicked her hair from her eyes and sat perched on a desk opposite the DNA tech Chad's desk.

"I've looked all over the place for Aiden, I couldn't find her so I asked around and _finally _someone told me she was in Mac's office. Shit...what if she's in trouble...she was really down about something earlier"

Chad tried to focus on the specimen samples he was looking at but Ronnie continued to tap her legs against the desk.

"I don't...Ronnie! Stop tapping _please_" he sighed impatiently

She smiled sheepishly "Sorry, I'm just worried about her"

He rolled his eyes and scribbled some observations down "You barely know her"

She ignored his short retort and rubbed the back of her neck "I feel like I can relate to her though. She said some things...I didn't know that it was that difficult doing her job. I'm inside most of the time, I don't see what she sees. I don't think I could handle it"

Chad straightened his back and looked at Ronnie "Hey she'll be all right, Aiden's a strong woman, she's given me more than enough put downs to prove that" he sighed, clearly preoccupied with his work

"All right. I can take a hint, I'll leave you be" she hopped off the desk and Chad smiled at her apologetically "Look, we can talk later. I'm just really busy. My place? Order in Chinese? I am _skilled _with chopsticks."

Ronnie checked her watch and mentally worked out when her shift would end "It's a deal. See you later" she smiled and Chad returned to his specimen samples.

She walked out of the lab and decided to return to the A/V room where she had just finished two weeks of back dated work due to sheer restless energy. As she walked she passed Mac's office and saw Aiden storm out, looking defeated. She quickly caught up with the brunette.

"Hey, you all right?" she asked

Aiden looked at her "I've just been fired" she said slowly as the finality of it sunk in

"Oh my god. I'm sorry" whispered Ronnie

Aiden shook her head "I'm not. I've got to go and pack" she walked off and Ronnie watched her go glumly wishing she knew what to say.

* * *

Stella had taken one look at the exhausted George and convinced the latest hire to use her office and catch a few 'Z's. Don who was more awake was left to continue the painstaking work of chasing up on leads and calling Arabella and Paris's various connections to try and find a break in his case.

"So that's like twenty-five people so far that have 'lawyered up' the second I mention I'm a detective. _No one _is talking. I tell you, these rich folk sure got a lot to hide." he muttered grouchily as Stella approached his desk

"Flack, let me give you a tip...what catches more flies than vinegar?" she grinned

He rolled his eyes "Is there a point to this...?"

She took the phone from him and dialled the number to Arabella's closest friend who was also her 'stylist' for big events.

"Hi, yes this is Stella Bonassera, I heard from a friend that you were behind that _divine _dress that Bella wore to that charity do, you remember right?" she said in a falsely simpering tone

Don went to protest but Stella waved him off and she laughed at something the stylist had said before speaking again. "Of course! I said that too! Whoever said military was the new nautical was _seriously _disturbed. Anyway darling, Arabella's throwing a little mixer for Paris's birthday and I haven't a _thing _to wear, can I pop over at say one and look at something?"

Don's mouth fell open when Stella's ploy appeared to have worked as the next thing he knew she was writing down an address on a yellow Postick note that she had found on his desk.

"_Fantastic! _I'll be there ASAP. Bye" she cooed and hung up then slapped the Postick note in Don's hand with a flourish

He gaped at her and then grinned "Meryl Streep's got _nothing _on you"

Stella shrugged modestly "Don't you have an appointment to keep?" she chuckled

* * *

George looked around at the chic 'office' of Manhattan's premier stylist. Noel Martinez, a small French man who carried around a small white dog in a black patent leather 'man purse' and insisted on wearing slim fitting black over his round frame topped off by garish coloured hats. That particular day he was sporting a leopard print and lime green Fedora.

He greeted them both with an airy wave and looked at them suspiciously "You are _both _detectives, how can NYPD's finest wear such _dull _colours. _Red _is a confidence colour, you want to intimidate criminals, not _bore _them, no?"

Don's eyebrows shot up but he didn't reply to that particular comment "Mr. Martinez, we need to talk to you about Arabella West, we hear you're good pals with her"

"Oui, guilty as charged" he giggled and cooed at his dog, now George's eyebrows shot up "What we're really here to ask is what you can tell us in relation to her affair with James Allen"

Martinez clasped his hand to his mouth "Oh _that! _It was tres dramatique and it all took place _right _here" he exclaimed

"What did?" encouraged Don

"Why the fight between James and Paris of course, it was all so wonderfully romantic, they both were in love with my Arabella and were having, how you say fisticuffs right here" he preened into a mirror that was on a wall next to him

"Did you here what they were saying?" said George

"But of course, James was saying he wasn't going to keep quiet about all the terrible business that Arabella's father was involved in but Paris he tried to defend his woman's honour. _Cherchez la femme_! Is what I say"

Don blinked and was glad when George translated this to 'search for the female'. "Meaning, whenever there's trouble between men you can be sure there's a woman involved" she explained

Martinez nodded excitedly "That is exactly true! They were both booked in here for a suit fitting, I don't know how it happened, I was told by Arabella that 'never the twain shall meet' and yet quelle horreuer they do! They argue about Arabella and warn the other to stay away from the other and then the woman in question turns up of course! It was quite a scene, to this day I am wondering who would book them all at the same time!"

"Smells like a set up" muttered George

Don didn't reply but he too felt the same "Mr. Martinez we're going to need to know what day this was and the number of the person who double...triple-booked Arabella, James and Paris"

The man held up his small dog to his face and gave it a kiss "Une moment detectives" he said cheerily and than headed off into a separate room, returning moments later with a pale blue print out of the information George and Don needed.

"I hope that I was of service, now if you'll excuse me, in a few minutes I will be having an important client, Stella Bonassera she has heard of me and I do not want her to get the wrong impression by seeing you two here. You understand, no?"

Don smiled to himself "Perfectly. Thanks"

George thanked the flamboyant man and then followed Don out of the office where they both shared amused grins at Stella having convinced the well connected Noel Martinez that she was a rich, socialite.

Don studied the piece of paper Martinez had given him with some surprise.

"The mysterious person who called in, called the day before our vic's death" he said out loud

"This is looking more and more like a set up" she mused

They got back into Don's car and he drove them back to the station, feeling as if after so many pointless leads they finally had one that would count.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, some pop culture references here; the, ' Whoever said military was the new nautical was _seriously _disturbed' line is my own twist on the 'Whoever said orange was the new pink was _seriously _disturbed' from Legally Blonde (yeah I watched it!) and the Noel Martinez is from that silly America's Next Top Model show that my sister watches, one of the 'characters' on there is called Nole Martin and I thought he'd be amusing to throw in. ****Anyway, that's that.**

**Otherwise, I like how the fic is going, I'm really sad Aiden had to go too seeing as my pseudonym _is_ Aiden Burn but...whatever will be will be. There's one more 'bumper' chapter coming up. Enjoy!**


	9. All Sparks

On entering his office Mac was alarmed to find Stella in tears but on closer examination it appeared she was simply crying because she was laughing so hard.

"Is something...wrong?" he asked puzzled

She looked up from the chair where she had been sat waiting for him and he saw the laughter had filled her face brightening it with joy.

"Oh my...I was just talking to Ronnie-you know, short, loud?"

He hinted at a smile "I remember vaguely"

"It was just this joke she told, completely _filthy_ of course, it was just the way she did it" Stella let out a final giggle and then exhaled "Phew! I haven't laughed like that in a while"

"Its nice to see you smile" he said as he walked over to the other side of his desk

Stella was surprised but she let the comment pass "I found out what happened to Aiden. How was she?"

Mac shrugged slightly, not out of the fact that he didn't care but because he was not certain of the answer himself "She seemed...relieved...I think she couldn't handle the pressure"

Stella nodded slowly "Aiden's a popular girl here, people are going to want answers to why you...to why what happened...happened"

"It was my decision to make. 'They' should understand that" said Mac a little defensively

"I know, I respect that. I really do" she said earnestly

He looked at her and knew this was true. "If they ask, Aiden left for personal reasons and that's all anyone really needs to know" he finished firmly

Stella looked past him and then back at him again "Your a good guy Mac, you made the right decision"

Mac stared at her and blinked, he'd been worrying about his choice to fire Aiden the entire day and then all Stella had to do was talk to him for a few minutes and everything was suddenly fine.

"Thanks...is that all?" he asked

She stood to her feet "Just lending you my ear, oh and don't forget to fill in Ronnie's first case evaluation. Same for George"

He smiled "I won't but thank you for reminding me"

Stella winked as she headed towards the door "Oh and hey, it's nice to see you smile too"

Mac wasn't the blushing type but he did smile and he did return her wink with one of his own. He watched her go, the smile still on his face.

* * *

Danny rapped on the office door of the A/V lab and after several tries and no response he opened the frosted door and found that there was in fact someone there; Ronnie was sat on a stool looking over what appeared to be CCTV footage of a recent bank robbery. He also noticed that the reason she hadn't heard him was due to the huge headphones she was listening to. 

He snuck up behind her and took them off, causing her to jump and spin around.

"Hoover Dam! What are you doing?" she exclaimed sharply

Danny raised an eyebrow "Hoover...dam?" he shook his head "Anyway, since it's my break I did your brother a favour and I'm here to collect the phone conversation for his case"

Ronnie rolled her eyes and snatched the headphones back and pointed to a small brown box at the far end of her desk "I sorted out whatever weird distortion I could hear in the background, cleaned up the sound and Don's mystery caller is an Irish woman...there's more detail in the report".

She reached for some paper's under her desk and inadvertently revealed an unusual looking tattoo on her lower back as her blue shirt slid up. Before he could work out what it was she was facing him again, and had the box with the taped phone conversation he needed and the report on said phone conversation.

"Anything else?" she asked impatiently

Danny smiled to himself "Not yet" then he left the lab

"What happened to please and thank you?" Ronnie muttered and put her headphones back on as she returned to her work.

* * *

**A/N: Short but I think, definitely sweet! Oh and if you had any ideas about where this was going _think again, _you know me, I like my twists.**


	10. Tattoo You

"You know, if you'd bothered to at least change your accent, I doubt anyone would have traced things back to you" said George smiling humourlessly

Siohban stared defiantly at the two detectives "I don't know _what_ you're on about"

Don took over "That little set up you planned? It all worked out pretty good. Lemme see if I can remember it right..." he paused for effect and then went on "You were clearly jealous that James had the hots for your boss, you wanted to get 'em back. So, you thought to yourself and you realised that you knew all their dirty secrets, you knew that Paris was paying off James to keep quiet about Arabella's father, so you set up that fake fitting with Nole Martinez, so all three could be seen in public arguing about James...you gave them all a nice little motive. Then you disguised yourself as Arabella with a wig, went down to James and killed him"

George maintained her mirthless expression "My partner here has a tendency to get carried away, _please _stop him if he's wrong"

Siobhan glowered furiously "That stupid up herself cow! Who did she think she was? James loved _me, _he didn't care about her, he just wanted her for the money, I _had _to sacrifice him, so I could ruin her and her idiotic mentalist family for good. I _hate _them" she finished vehemently

Don cupped his hand to his ear and said dryly "Did that sound like a confession?"

George smirked "I'm pretty sure it did"

* * *

"How are you finding things?" asked Mac

George smiled at the gentle eyed detective "It's great, really. I've got a new place. I haven't yet managed to move in yet, but now this case is over I might just get the chance" She had been on her way out of the building when she'd bumped into him.

"Good for you. You know,we're getting a new CSI soon.She's from Montana" he said

She nodded "Are you asking me to show her around, because like Disney Land you can't see New York in a day...or so I'm told"

He chuckled and George wondered why she couldn't meet his eyes. "Well I'm sure she'd appreciate that. If you need help with your move..."

"You're offering?" she asked gaping

"...I'm being polite" he said wryly, although she had a feeling he would have probably helped. He just seemed that way.

George grinned "It's okay, Sheldon already said he'd help. He seems nice"

"He is" agreed Mac "Well, good luck, I'm very glad to have you on the team"

She blushed faintly "Thank you sir" she smiled and parted ways with him, cursing herself for blushing. As she walked she met with Sheldon.

"Hey, saw you talking to Mac. Everything okay?" he asked

"It was nothing, he was just asking me about work. He's a really...cool guy" she said thoughtfully

"He is, so...you know that offer to help you move in? It comes with a price..." he smirked

"I don't think I'm going to like this..." she murmured

He smiled "You're going to _love _it. I'm having a game party, a bunch of people are going to watch the ice hockey game then go back to my place"

George frowned "Ice hockey?" she pictured huge muscular men beating each other with hockey sticks and frowned again

"The best kind." He noticed her reluctance "Come on. You'll _love _it. I promise"

"I thought you were helping me with my apartment because I gave you that huge tip on your case" she said pointedly and walked to her desk, collecting her things as she did

"I was hoping you wouldn't remember that. Anyway listen, this will be a great chance for you to get to know people...come on. What do you say?" he nudged her with his elbow, a teasing glint in his eyes.

She was relenting and he knew it "I'm really _not _into that kind of thing" she murmured even as he had linked arms with her and was leading her out of the precinct

* * *

Dangerously close to losing her impatience as the large over excited hockey fan banged into her for the fifth but what felt like the hundredth time. She didn't know which was worse, the gory game and the fact that Sheldon, Don, and Danny who were also at the game didn't seem to mind this at all or the fact that the large man was really, _really _sweaty.

Finally the game was over, and along with the rest of the cheering hockey fans George, Danny, Sheldon and Don poured out into the parking lot. The three guys were chattering excitedly amongst themselves whilst George shuddered at the memory of the sweaty man.

"How'd you like your first game?" asked Don as they all climbed into Sheldon's car

"I think I should have stayed home" she replied to Danny's amusement

"Come on, it can't have been that bad. Did you see the fight at the end? Amazing." beamed Don

"Flack, as I'm getting to know you, its worrying that a cop is into bloodsports" she said and wound down the window beside her

"Oh, it's _not _a bloodsport, I can't believe you called that beautiful, beautiful, game...a bloodsport" protested Don

George decided she wasn't going to win this argument and let them talk amongst themselves as they drove to Sheldon's condo.

* * *

"I can't _believe, _you didn't invite me to the game! I thought we were pals" beamed Ronnie as Sheldon greeted her at the door.

She had been invited to Sheldon's after party much to her brother's chagrin but he wasn't surprised she was so popular at workalready. Ronnie was _born _popular.

Sheldon grinned as she playfully hit him on the arm "I didn't think it was your kind of thing...what with all the little skirts and heels" he teased

Don who had his arm around Ronnie scoffed into his beer but wisely didn't comment.

Ronnie smiled in mock offence "You know, you'd be surprised at what I'm into"

Sheldon beamed while Don looked disturbed and Danny wondered why if he'd had said what Sheldon had said; Ronnie would be gouging out his eyes but Sheldon got away with it. George stood awkwardly with the small group, wanting to talk to someone else but she didn't know anyone else at the party. She decided to bring herself into the conversation.

"Flack, have you and Ronnie been a couple long?" she asked casually

Ronnie and Don leapt apart with Ronnie crying _"eugh!"_ as she did. Danny who had overheard this, stopped laughing long enough to point out that Ronnie was Don's sister.

George blushed furiously "I'm so, so, sorry. I think I'll go and take a swim...maybe in theEast River" she said

Ronnie tossed her hair over her shoulder "You have some weird friends" she said looking at Don and sauntered off to greet some other people she knew

"I'm _so _sorry" said George hiding her face in shame, Danny patted her on the back "Way to break the ice newbie"

She peered through her fingers and saw to her surprise that Don was grinning "Easy mistake to make, what with all Ronnie's make up and hair dye and whatever that is she's wearing, you...weren't to know" he said easily

Sheldon smiled "Okay, while you two get over that awkwardness I'm going to mingle" he said and promptly did so

Danny shrugged "Drink?" he gestured towards the kitchen, already on his way there

George shook her head and turned to Don to start up a conversation only to find he had headed down towards the couch and talking to somebody he knew. She looked at him as his face lit up and he laughed. He _was _cute. She admitted. Even if he wasn't her type.George wandered over to the balcony and watched the rest of the party goers. Too tired to join in. Her mind wandered back to Flack.

She sighed, her boss _and _her co-worker. She needed to get a hold of her hormones. Sighing again she went to find herself a drink.

* * *

Ronnie examined her fingernails and wished she hadn't worn such a nice cocktail dress when everyone was in smart casual and especially if it was being wasted on the annoying doctor that was droning in her general direction.

"...ya, so I have to like moisturise three times a day, this air can be harsh on the skin..." she tuned out and wondered why it was every time she was close to leaving he'd suddenly grab her shoulder flash his teeth at her and ramble on

"Ronnie"

She looked to her side and found Danny "You know who is outside, she really wants to speak to you"

The doctor continued on as if no one had interrupted but he was giving Danny a dirty look, Ronnie followed Danny's lead "_Oh! _You can't mean...wow, that's great!" she looked apologetically at the doctor who had finally realised no one was listening

"What's going on?" he said, offended

"I was really looking forward to hear you tell me about how you keep your hair so glossy but...I've got to see someone" she gabbled and grabbed hold of Danny's arm dragging him outside with her past the now large crowd of party goers

"Thank _God" _she exclaimed once they were out in the brisk air

"Uh...yeah, you looked like you needed rescuing" he said tucking his hands into his pockets as she had let go of his arm

"Danny, Danny" she murmured and sat on the front steps "Have you been watching me again?"

"Get over yourself" he retorted but he suddenly felt unsure of himself, he reached in his back pocket for a cigarette

"Well aren't you going to offer me one?" she pouted shamelessly

He reached into his back pocket and came up empty "Uh...sorry. All out"

She patted the space right next to her "We can go halfsies. Sit _down. _I won't bite, despite damning evidence to the contrary" she grinned rakishly

Danny smiled and sat down but not as close as she'd indicated and handed her his cigarette, she took a long drag, then passed it back to him.

"I didn't know you smoked" he said conversationally

She balanced her elbows on a higher step "I've been here less than a week. There's a lot you don't know about me" she replied

"I know...stuff" he murmured and smoked as she reacted to this

"Like what?" she scoffed

"Like...you have a tattoo" he smirked

Ronnie sat up archly and stared at him "What? How do you know that?"

"By accident" he said holding up his hands defensively "It was er...on your back" he said and suddenly felt stupid

She grinned and relaxed "Oh _that. _That's just henna from a fancy dress party I went to, ordinarily lower back tattoos are a little too..._hooker_ but I was going as a belly dancer"

Danny nodded and then looked at her suspiciously as he handed her the cigarette "Wait, if its just a fake, why did you nearly jump out of your skin...unless you have a _real _one!" he exclaimed grinning

She shoved the cigarette back at him and pouted without realising "God you are an irritating man Danny Messer. Even if I did have a tattoo, _you'll _never see it"

He shrugged "Tattoos are no big deal, I have about...ten" he said thoughtfully

"Probably prison tattoos" she snickered and he elbowed her "Okay, I'm going inside" she stated and got to her feet

"Ronnie?" he said as she was halfway up the front steps

"What?" she said

"Gimme a hint about your tattoo" he teased only half joking

She flipped him off but was smiling then disappeared back into the condo. He watched her go, she was really, really, irritating and this was just from knowing her for four days, but she was also _gorgeous _and his best friend's sister. In Danny's mind this all spelt trouble, he sighed and decided that his best option was to avoid and avoid some more, it was much safer that way.

* * *

**Author's Note: No one is reviewing this one...ah well. I don't do this for reviews. Oh god, what an obvious lie. They would be nice but even if no one reviews I'll keep posting.**


	11. Here, Now

**A/N: More lives and loves of the CSI:NY crew. Still no reviews...shame...anyway, I know people are still reading so I'll keep posting. By the way, NeverMindDream and thisyearslove write great fluffy romance. **

* * *

Ronnie gave Chad an annoyed look "Not _that _kind of dancer, professional, stage stuff. On Broadway" She was eating outside of a new tiny Mexican café that had a reputation for serving the best hot dishes. 

His face fell but then he brightened up again "In any language that still means hot girls"

She raised her head up in the hot sun and put down her now empty glass of coke "I thought since you were taking me out to Sunday lunch you would be all charming and funny"

He played with his curry before giving up and then scoffing "You must have me confused with someone else"

Ronnie smiled sweetly "_Clearly_. Anyway, I used to dance with these girls, they are all my friends and they've just come back from tour, I want you to meet them"

"Whoa" he said surprised "The past two weeks you're avoiding me and won't even share Oreo's with me at the vending machines and now...I'm having lunch with you and you're taking me to meet..._dancers_"

Ronnie blushed or maybe it was just her make up, he couldn't be sure "I know, I've been a bad friend...but...you _always _know if I'm acting off and I didn't want you to pick up on that and get curious"

He looked at his plate and then back at her "What's there to be curious about?"

Ronnie reached across the table and ruffled his sandy blonde hair "Be a good pal and don't ask?"

Chad narrowed his eyes "I forgot how annoying you were" he said teasing

She chuckled and without batting an eyelid she ate a spoonful of steaming, spicy hot soup. He starred at her in amazement then shook himself out of it. "Ronnie, you know I _suck _at confrontation. It's one of my few failures as possibly the most perfect human being created..."

"That and your _awful _puns" she quipped

"So I know...I'll just say it. Why won't you tell me why you dropped out of college?" he asked quickly

Ronnie shrunk into her chair and looked at her food "I think I should have ordered the pasta"

"Classic Ronnie avoidance" he sighed and knew he shouldn't have brought the issue up

"I'm _not _talking about it. I don't care if it'savoidance" she muttered darkly

He looked at her carefully and then stood up, unfolding his lanky frame "I'm going to go and return some videos, do you want to come with me?"

She peered up at him, his grey blue eyes sparkling with amusement again "Not if it's porn, but you're coming with me to meet the girls so you'll have to return your 'videos' later" she reminded him

He half-smiled "How could I ever have forgotten? Let's go..." he paused to answer his cell while Ronnie called the waitress over with the bill

"It's Mac", he said hanging up" and then cleared his throat importantly "He _needs _me"

Ronnie rolled her eyes "So I guess you won't be meeting the girls"

He waved this off and put some money down on the table for the waitress before swinging Ronnie upwards "Mon petit cherie, this will only be for a few minutes...I wouldn't miss it for the world"

* * *

"Wouldn't miss it for the world eh?" mused Ronnie twenty minutes later as Chad pulled on his lab coat. He sighed "Well it's not like I could tell Mac where he could put his semen samples..." he paused realising what he'd said "That sounded about seven kinds of wrong" 

She watched him set up his equipment "Faggedabowdit" she said putting emphasis on her accent

He cringed "You're a sad, sad little woman"

Ronnie grinned brightly then she looked at him thoughtfully "Uh, thanks y'know...for letting me avoid...'The Why I Dropped Out Of College Issue'...it's just something I don't like to talk about"

He raised his eyebrows "No shit" then added; "In your own time" he pulled on his gloves and looked wistful "Say hi to the girls for me"

She winked and rubbed his arm sympathetically "I'll keep them warm for you" she winked salaciously and walked out as he laughed to himself.

Ronnie walked down towards the break room hoping to find Sheldon or any one else who was willing to give her a lift down to Broadway, she couldn't stand taking the subway in the current heat.

As she did she walked past the evidence lay out room and her eye caught Danny grinning at something a woman with light brown hair had said.

She rolled her eyes at their flirting, Danny Messer as a bordering on obnoxious person, she could believe _that._ But Danny Messer as a love interest? Now _that _was funny.

* * *

At what she thought was an unreasonable hour Ronnie found herself rolling out of bed and landing flat on her back. She let out a muffled groan of pain as her blankets covered her and then sat up, glowering at whoever had woken her. 

"Come on, we said we'd help George with her moving in" said Don who was already dressed in a shirt that Ronnie thought looked suspiciously clean for simply helping someone move.

"I don't want to" she snapped back "Besides, you're the one who _loves_ her, why don't _you_ help her pack" she said sarcastically

Don glared "What? What utter crap are you talking about now?"

"D, go _away. _I rarely get to sleep these days, please move your butt out_"_ she whined in complaint

He sighed impatiently "Speaking of moving, you found a permanent place yet?"

Ronnie shuffled upwards and tried to untangle herself from her bed sheets "I _clearly_ haven't had time jackass"

Don huffed "Well...I _was _going to say you might as well stay here since it's less hassle and you've already taken over..."

She jumped up with glee and ran at him in what he assumed was meant to be a loving hug but felt more like a rugby tackle.

"Aw! You really want me staying here? Even though we're always bitching at each other? Won't that be weird?" she said grinning

He shrugged as best he could "Well...you still have to pay rent, groceries etc and...yeah I do want you here, because even though you're like a monkey on my back sometimes...you're a _great _cook and you clean...plus you're family so..."

She kissed him on the cheek several times in the annoying way his clucky aunts did and then finally let him go. "D, you're the best. I'm going to show you how grateful I am, even if it is just by telling you that I hate that shirt becauseits _soooo '_my-mom-still-shops-for-me', you realise?"

He ruffled her hair and said sarcastically "Do _you_ realise that you've got a big mouth?"

"All I'm hearing D, is blah, blah, blah..." she paused and beamed at him "Thank you, love you, now _get out_" she said pushing him out of the room and then curling up on her bed, falling promptly back into sleep.

* * *

George was surprised to see Don at her door, she hadn't really expected him to show up "Flack...hey" she said self consciously in her jeans and to her increasing shame she was wearing a 'We Will Rock You' tee shirt. 

At least her hair was working with her and her dog was in the care of her semi-capable cousins.

"Uh, Sheldon roped me in. Said you needed help moving in ages ago but...he kept putting it off" he said casually

George nodded "Yeah, he called. Said he can't make it, his girlfriend wants to 'talk'"

Don also nodded as if this was deeply fascinating "Well, let me in then"

She realised they were still by the door "Oh yeah, sorry...come in" she lead him into her one bedroomed apartment. It was of decent size, had softly carpeted walls and could be quite nice as long as her Aunt Judith didn't decide to decorate.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked looking around

George pointed at some paint cans where the lounge would be "Just paint, for now...I'll put up the stuff later...let me get you a paintbrush or something" she said feeling nervous

Don went over to the paint cans and opened them. She noticed him looking aghast as she came over with the brushes.

"What's wrong?" she said

"These...colours" he said looking at the pastel greens and barely there yellows that were in the tins as if they were something an animal had thrown up.

"There's _nothing_ wrong with them" she said defensively "They're _very_ soothing"

"They're disgusting" he said flatly but on her look he said "Your house" although he might have been saying 'your funeral' judging by his tone.

They painted mostly in silence, George had put on the radio but they had wildly differing tastes and so they'd settled for painting punctuated by random chatter about work or things they'd heard about people at work.

"I think we're done" said Don a few hours later

"I really wish there were more windows" sighed George wincing at the fumes

Don looked at her with paint flecks in her thick curls and cleared his throat "Do you want to get some lunch? Or whatever a meal is called at five in the afternoon"

George surprised herself by agreeing, she suspected it was due to her hunger rather than anything else. Don picked out a cute, folksy Dutch diner where they sat outside and enjoyed their respective meals in comfortable silence.

"You know, we've been partners two months now and you still haven't told me why you transferred. Share and share alike?" he said as they made their way to dessert

George was saved answering when an impossibly tall Amazonian looking woman that was intimidatingly beautiful stalked over to their table. A murderous look in her bright green eyes.

"Flack!" she screeched in a voice that George thought didn't belong to someone so gorgeous

He cringed and lowered his gaze "Shit. It's...Trina..." he got up and rushed over to her, George watched as Trina gestured wildly for a few minutes then stormed off her long tanned legs covering vast amounts of space in little time till she had disappeared completely from view.

"Wow" said George as Don sat back down, he looked immensely harassed

"Girlfriend?" she asked

He scoffed and muttered; "Not any more"

"Sorry" she said not sure if that helped any

Don looked up "Oh, that was over years ago, Trina just likes to make my life hell" he muttered and looked unhappily at his plate

"Do you want to talk about it?" offered George politely

She was surprised when he smiled at her "It's not a serious situation, she's just irritating. Lets just...eat"

"I'll drink to that" said George and raised her drink to her lips

* * *

**A/N: Well?**


	12. Trying Your Luck

George beamed at her freshly painted apartment and then at Don.

"Flack, you're officially on my Christmas card list. Thank you for all this" she said and wiped some paint off her hands onto her jeans

"Anytime ma'am" he said, going into his professional voice and then smiling

He realised that it was probably a good time for him to start on his way home, but the sun was still out and to be honest, he was enjoying spending time with George even if they appeared to have quite different tastes.

"Well...I'm going to get cleaned up" she nodded and walked towards the door "Thanks again" she said, this was his cue to leave

Don shrugged his broad shoulders "Let's go to central park, have some dinner" he said casually, sounding as if he did this all the time

George was interested, especially since it sounded like he was asking her out on a date but she was not certain this was a wise move particularly with her allergies.

"Actually...I...would...love to!" she finished brightly

He smiled "Great, we can grab some _kosher _food from a vendor"

George wasn't the biggest fan of food brought outdoors but she ignored this thought _and_ the one telling her it was a bad idea to date someone she worked with, especially her partner.

* * *

An hour later, eyes tearing up, nose red and sneezing uncontrollably George trudged back into her apartment and reprimanded herself for thinking she could simply 'ignore' her allergies.

"I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have shown you those gardens if I knew..." said Don walking behind her, he went to the kitchen to get her some water as she sat down on the floor since there was no real furniture yet except for her bed.

George waved her hand dismissively "Hey, don'd worry aboud id" she mumbled and realised she was having difficulty saying her t's and s's.

He handed her the glass of water, looking embarrassed. "Wow, made an ass of myself today" he said

"No you didn'd id wab my fauld" she insisted

Don thought it would be rude to point out he had no idea what she was saying. "Uh...maybe I should go. You gonna be okay?"

George nodded "Yeb, my hay fever pillb are in the badroom, could you ged dhem for me pleabe?"

He managed to get that she meant her hay fever pills were in the bathroom and after making sure he'd correctly identified them he came back to the would be lounge and gave them to her.

"God, I'm sorry. This wasn't what I had planned" he admitted

George tried to smile but only ended up sneezing "I hope nob, bhank you" she said as she took the pills

He said his goodbyes after making sure she had headed off to bed, he didn't have the heart to tell her some of the paint from the walls had rubbed onto her tee shirt from where she'd been sat.

* * *

After his disastrous pseudo-date with George, Don went home, feeling incredibly stupid. He knew in his gut it wouldn't work out to date a co-worker but he had found himself fascinated by how George was mysterious and quiet, it wasn't often he found a girl like her who seemed interested in things other than her personal appearance. As if to perpetuate that, he found that Ronnie (who had just arrived from work) had filled his once minimalist bathroom with beauty products.

"What's with all this stuff?" he said sitting on the edge of the bathroom tub and watching Ronnie straighten her now red hair

"I've got a date" she sing-songed

"With who?" he asked arching his eyebrows

"Freddy Ruis, he works for the New York Fire Department" she grinned at her reflection in the mirror

"Do I know this guy?" he pushed

"Thankfully, _no. _Its nothing serious, in fact I'm gonna break up with him tonight. " she explained

Her brother looked at her in the mirror "Can't you stick with one guy? I can't keep up with you, you move from one to the next like..." he clicked his fingers "...That."

Ronnie put on her earrings then turned around to face him, smiling; "You know my motto, don't hate the _playa_, hate the game"

He laughed then sighed "Be serious for a minute eh? I mean, you telling me you don't ever want to settle down, meet some genuinely nice guy and get married?"

Ronnie sat down next to him so she could put on her heels "No D, I told you before. You're worse than ma, I'm _not _the marrying kind. And why ever get serious? I only ever get burnt"

"I thought you were over this, you can't go around not trusting people" he pointed out carefully

"I trust _you_" she said putting an arm around him "Listen, I'm like a half hour late. I'll see you"

He heard a car horn hooting outside and guessed it was for her. "All right, be careful okay?"

She smiled wryly "I always am, that's how I don't get hurt"

* * *

Flack flashed his badge at the two on site uniformed cops and entered the building where a dancer had been killed. Beside him walked George. The awkwardness between them as they apologised profusely about the weekend had passed and as they had picked up coffees on the way up to work they'd both mentally decided to keep things strictly professional. Flack glanced at her from the corner of his eye, he was attracted to her, that was for sure but _that_ was besides the point, as his sister Izzy was fond of saying (after her own bad experiences); '_you don't dip your pen in the company ink'._

* * *

Every time Stella was around Mac she found herself feeling the same way as she had when she'd been a giddy teenager and had fallen for her neighbour, the resident 'bad boy'. He and Mac weren't the same in any way but they certainly had both inspired strong feelings in her.

She wasn't the type of woman to get weak at the knees around a man and neither did she expect herself to fall for Mac, it had just happened gradually over time. She knew he wasn't blind and her flirting must have caught his attention, it wasn't like she was being subtle anymore.

Still, if she put her mind to it, Stella could ignore her feelings.

It wasn't like she was even sure what she wanted from him. His wife had been tragically taken from him and she knew he still missed her, and Stella respected that. She really did. But that didn't stop _her _from wanting him.

So she decided she'd have to find someone else to want.

Then the 'Mac problem' would simply take care of itself.

* * *

Ronnie stifled a yawn and managed a smile at a few co-workers as she shuffled towards the elevators of the 35th floor, hoping to get to the ground floor and back home. She'd just finished her shift and Adam Ross had just begun his, they had a tentative working relationship which wasn't helped by their working space which was practically wall to wall with equipment, sensitive folders and files, computers and many other forensic related things. Yet despite sometimes (more often than not) snapping at each other, Ronnie could still say she genuinely liked Adam, he was good at what he did and could be almost as funny as Chad. Her friend was taking a week long trip to Vegas and finally putting his long deserved overtime to good use.

"What the?..." she became more alert as a strong smell of fish hit her, she turned around and watched Danny and Sheldon manoeuvre a large swordfish on a trolley.

"I don't even want to ask" she muttered out loud

Sheldon paused his actions and grinned at her "Would you believe we're investigating a _possible_ death by swordfish?"

Ronnie stepped into the elevator "I wouldn't _normally, but_ this is New York"

Danny eyed her suspiciously "What? No wise crack for me today?"

She widened her eyes innocently "No! I'm shocked you think that! This _other_ 'wise cracking' woman you have me confused with would point out that at least the fish covers up _your normal _smell...but not me" she finished sweetly.

The elevator doors pinged shut and she disappeared from view, the two CSI's kept moving, with Sheldon chuckling.

"Why is she so nice to everyone _but _me?" sighed Danny in mock-theatrics. Sheldon grinned "You're as bad as each other, she's just a little..._confident_. Its good to have some humour back in this place"

Danny raised an eyebrow "Thats what you call funny?"

* * *

Stella let out a low whistle as she examined her new boyfriend's paintings. _My boyfriend? Is that what he is?_ He was supposed to be her distraction from Mac, and he worked very well. He ticked all her boxes; he sent flowers with charming notes attached just so she knew he was thinking about her, he was talented, smart, witty, a gentleman and _great_ in bed. _Perfect, right?_

She ducked her head as he kissed her and smiled indulgently. She was having fun and she actually really liked this guy.

Perhaps the 'Mac problem' really hadn't been as big a deal as she'd made it out to be.

She hoped anyway.

They slipped into his bed, still kissing and she forgot about Mac.

* * *

"Mac?"

The detective followed the sound of his name to a smiling George seated at the far end of a restaurant. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he came over and then realised how that sounded "I mean...not that its any of my business"

He half smiled "Just enjoying the music" he nodded up at a soul band that had just finished playing at the front of the restaurant and she shared his sentiments.

"Well, would you like to join me? There's a _great_ jazz band playing in a few minutes. You might like them" she suggested

Inwardly, she was glad for her earlier glass of wine, oddly it made her less prone to the clumsiness that plagued her social life.

At work, she was professional if slightly 'bookish' and managed to go many hours and handle many a situation without embarrassing herself. But the minute she was off duty and her temporary grace and calm would all go to pot.

"I would like that" said Mac he sat next to her, complimenting her choice of music. They discussed various jazz bands they both liked before the next band.

"This is weird...I didn't think I'd see you here...but then most of the time, I'm in the back reading as the music plays" she admitted

"Sounds like a nice way to unwind" said Mac thoughtfully

They were companionably silent for a few minutes before the band finally came on. All through the music, George was too busy analysing Mac's behaviour to really listen. She came to the conclusion that If she was honest with herself, she felt he was just being 'nice' and not secretly yearning for her which somewhat helped her get over her mini-crush. George also decided never to underestimate how easy it was to confuse admiration for something _more._

* * *

In five inch bright orange heels, Ronnie skipped to Chad's apartment. Fortunately for her soles he only lived two short blocks away. Her best friend was back and she was looking forward to taking him out on the town.

The minute he answered the door she gave him a bear hug, just coming up to his chest and then stood back.

"Dude. You didn't tan _at all. _I k_new_ you wouldn't"

Chad rolled his eyes "Oh its just _you_" he teased before letting her in. "You need to stop trying to get me to put on Mystic Tan, pale and interesting _works_ for some people" he said and walked towards his kitchen where something was cooking.

Ronnie looked around and studied his lounge area, which she wasn't surprised to find; was a chaotic mess of books and clothes and boxes.

"Whats with the boxes?" she asked as he re-emerged from the kitchen having left his meal to simmer. Chad scratched the back of his neck and looked uncomfortable.

"Okay, don't start...throwing knives and stuff...but I've got a job. In Vegas"

She sat down on the edge of a heavy black coffee table which was heaving with books. "WELL" she said and then stared off somewhere beyond his shoulder..

Chad watched her with a mixture of nervousness and suspicion "Are you okay?...If I come and sit with you, you're not going to like...gut me?" he flashed her a grin but she merely looked blank. He sighed and sat down next to her on the already dangerously loaded table.

"So...I went there with the full intention to blow my money on slots, alcohol and sci:fi conventions and perhaps the odd showgirl as you suggested. I ended up going to this lecture by this Gil Grissom who is the coolest entomologist _ever. _I think I had a tiny man crush on him...anyway...I spoke to him afterwards and somehow he offered me a job and I had to take it."

Ronnie groaned "_Why?_ What, is so bad about NYC?"

He sighed again "I don't know dude, but...just...I went to the Vegas lab and just looking around there it was somewhere I wanted to be. I just felt like I could really work there, its not that I don't love New York...but..." he trailed off again and then picked up where he'd left off. "Working with Gil Grissom and his motley crew of forensic scientists? Once in a lifetime opportunity. What can I say? I'm a science geek and he is like...Batman to me"

Finally Ronnie spoke "When?"

"In a couple of uhm...days"

"Days!"

He looked sheepish "They need me there soon and Mac agreed to transfer me quickly"

She looked at him and exhaled glumly "Thats it then. God. I'm going to miss y..._argh!_"

The table had given way and sent them both crashing down, books slid and crashed around them but all it took was one look and they had broken down in a fit of laughter.

"So who am I going to talk to now?" asked Ronnie as the laughter died down many minutes later.

"I'm just a text or an instant message away. You know I'm chained to my laptop" he grinned and she affectionately brushed his head.

"You better be. And _you know_ that I'm going to be making regular visits to Vegas and raising hell with you"

He nodded solemnly and then smiled "All right, I was in the midst of making myself a seriously sad-bachelor-alone-in-his-apartment-mac-and-cheese meal but screw that. You're wearing your glad rags, so I _know_ you've got some high jinks planned for tonight"

Ronnie beamed mischievously "You're not wrong there pal, this'll be a night you won't forget in a hurry"

* * *

**A/N: THANK YOU Aphina, for finally reviewing. I lied. I do LOVE reviews, they brighten my day and they really do help me to see where to go next and see how people are responding. Its true, I do really love writing and I'm not in this for millions of reviews which would be fun but thats not how I measure my skills. I'd just like a few here and there and some support. So thanks again Aphina. Title is a Strokes song.**


	13. Alone, Together

**A/N: New chapter, enjoy and Aphina. Thanks. As for the rest of you...; ). The title is another Strokes song. What can I say? I dig their flavour. ; )**

* * *

Stella arrived at work with more of a spring in her step. Things with her _boyfriend (_she didn't entirely agree with using that word at her age but it was cute all the same)were definitely going _excellently _and she was in a great mood. Mac had enough observation skills to know that her smile was courtesy of a new man in her life but his reaction was low key. He wasn't going to start treating her differently because he was jealous. There was nothing else to do but...be a friend.

"Someone's in a good mood. Had a nice day off?" he asked pleasantly

She smiled "The nicest. What about you? I hope you actually went home and got some rest. You've been working like crazy"

Mac nodded "I did rest. I went out. It was...good"

Stella smirked "You're quite the word smith." she teased softly

He smirked back "Why use a million words when a few can be just as good?"

She rolled her eyes "We need to collect all of your little sayings and publish them. Anyway...I just need to get some print outs from Ronnie. I'll be back in a few" she smiled and headed away from his office. He watched her go and while he loved seeing her so happy he hated that he wasn't the reason behind it.

* * *

Don switched the clothes basket he was carrying from one hand to another and then continued his story as he and his sister entered the brightly lit laundromat.

"So, me and George are going door to door and asking people if they've seen or heard anything and of course I end up with the dude wearing _filthy_ y-fronts and a seriously nasty stained wife beater. He's just standing there scratching his hairy belly..." he trailed off unable to continue because he and Ronnie were laughing so hard.

They picked two washing machines near the back and since they had both arrived from work late, they had ended up at the nearest 24 hour dry cleaners which was, judging by some of the other people around; the perfect place for those who worked irregular hours.

Ronnie separated the coloured clothes from the white clothes and her brother stuffed the clothes that had been sorted into their respective machines.

"Mom called yesterday, she wanted to know if we were married and settled down yet" said Don

Ronnie cringed "Eugh, to each other?"

He smirked "Thats what I said and she said not to be so smart. She's getting broody again and wants more grand kids"

She finished separating the last bunch of clothes, then replied "She's so weird with stuff like that. One minute we should all be 'focusing on our careers' and showing off about our 'big fancy jobs', the next we're all supposed to be getting knocked up left right and center. Aren't Ros' twins enough?"

Don shrugged, more concerned with his rumbling stomach than anything else "They should be but...you know her, she's got an idea in her head, she'll be running down here trying to set us up with all sorts of...'suitable' weirdos"

Ronnie grinned "Yeah, remember when she tried to get Izzy to get with Will Adler from down the block? The really hairy guy who used to wear tiger print thongs to the beach. I mean I love ma, but she can sure pick 'em" she shuddered

Don laughed "What about her setting me up with Crazy Trina?"

"Oh the one with the nails? Man, she was _obsessive_"

"Yeah! Like her seeing me with Ros and thinking I was lying about her being my sister! She even started yelling at me when I was helping George a coupla weeks back. Nightmare"

"She was _gorgeous _though. Even _I_ can admit that"

They burst into more laughter as Ronnie made a salacious gesture about Trina's ample chest and then Ronnie suggested they go pick up a pizza as they waited for the clothes.

Don was about to answer but momentarily forgot about pizza when George appeared in the laundromat , she had one large bag with her and looked intimidated by the brightly light large store.

"D? _Hello? _Are you listening? What pizza do you..." persisted Ronnie and Don snapped back to focus.

"Oh...yeah. I don't care...but if there's even a hint of garlic..." he warned

Ronnie looked from George then back to her brother knowingly "So you like her then?"

He frowned "Who George? I work with her. 'Course I do"

His sister tutted smugly "Bro, you _so_ know what I mean."

He elbowed her into silence as George approached them.

"Hey! Ronnie. Flack...actually I guess since you're related you're _both_ Flack...but you knew that...I just got confused..." said George, inwardly she cringed. Her awkward traits had kicked in.

"So! I'm going to get that pizza D. I'll see you guys in a while" said Ronnie then she remembered she'd left her purse at home

"Can I have a little dough bro?" she said sweetly

He gave her 'a look'. "Cute" then he reached into his shirt pocket and handed her a twenty. "Don't go spending it all at once" he teased

Ronnie rolled her eyes then added "You kids have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't"

Don knowing full well she was trying to play matchmaker gave her a warning look but she smiled back brightly. "Oh and George, since we've got space, you want to share our machines?"

George smiled thankfully "Its all right I..."

"I won't here about it! You're sharing. Great!" interjected Ronnie "So I'll be back later" then she darted off but not before doing an exaggerated wink at her brother behind George's shoulder.

* * *

Dannywalked hurriedly crossed the street, the box of pizza he was carrying was wrapped in his coat to keep it from burning his hands but the loss of his coat had left him exposed to the cold, thankfully it was only mild and not one of New York's more extreme varieties of cold weather.

Careful manoeuvring of busy pavements and unpredictable streets and all it took was one petite redhead to upset all the care Danny had put into carrying his pizza. They both walked into each other and the pizza fell to the ground along with his coat.

"Shit" he said softly and then looked for the culprit "God. Not you again. Why is it always you?" he growled at Ronnie

She looked shocked "You walked into _me_." Then she crouched down and picked up the box, she opened it and sighed in mock upset. "This is _so_ sad. I hate to see good pizza go to waste"

Danny picked up his coat "then maybe you should watch where you're going. Damn. You owe me twenty bucks"

Ronnie scoffed "Get real Messer" she shoved the box back in his hands and began to stalk past him but he turned around and walked with her.

"Ronnie come on. Be fair" he sighed, she glanced at him and then smirked "I was going to pay you back anyway."

She fished in her jean pocket and brought out a twenty which Danny promptly snatched. "Thanks" he said brightly

"Hey! Thats all I have!" she protested and slapped his arm to emphasis her point.

He smiled smugly "Shoulda thought of that before you just _ran _into me and _stop _with the slapping!"

Ronnie rolled her eyes "I'm supposed to be picking up a pizza for me and D, I only brought a twenty!"

Danny made a big gesture of pretending to be considering his options, he wasn't truly going to take her money but he loved to tease her.

"All right, all right. Don't get your hair in a twist. We'll split one all right? I wanted to see Flack anyway" he suggested and was surprised when she agreed.

As they started to walk he wondered if she was at all aware of some of the admiring looks she was getting, even in a tee shirt and jeans with her obligatory high heels, she drew glances. He suddenly felt protective over her, but brushed the thought off. If there was anyone that _didn't _need protecting it was Ronnie.

"Why so quiet?" he asked, wondering why she hadn't started insulting him yet, he did enjoy their banter he'd noticed her behaviour at work too. Her mind was on other things.

She scoffed "I don't talk all the time, sometimes I like to be quiet all right?"

He chuckled at her forwardness "Oh! Well consider me _told. _You got something on your mind?"

Ronnie looked at him thoughtfully "Yeah...I guess I could tell ya. Chad is leaving. He's transferred to Vegas"

He gave her a wry look "You and him...had something going on?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you. Mr. Gossip. No...nothing like that. We were pals since college. I'm just going to miss him"

Danny nodded "Its like that with Aiden, we were tight...its tough getting used to your friends going...but you'll be all right. I have no doubt. You've got uh, _moxy_"

She giggled "Moxy? You're so _sad _man."

He sighed in mock upset "Look, we were just about having a serious conversation there and you _had _to go and spoil it"

They had reached the pizzeria, Ronnie paused at the door and held out her hand "You're right. What say we try being nice to each other? Truce?"

Danny pretended to be thinking about it then made a big show of sighing as he held out his hand "All right, all right. Truce"

Ronnie rolled her eyes "_Gee_, you don't have to look so cut up about it!"

He laughed and pushed open the door to Joey's Pizza. "Come on"

* * *

**A/N: So: )**


	14. Strike and Dirty Laundry

George started sorting her clothes and wondered what to say to Don, they didn't exactly have a lot in common. Aside from working together, she'd seen him get on a lot better with random strangers than with her, which made her wonder. She genuinely wanted to be good friends with him, go to bars and hang out, as she used to with her old partner. But they really had nothing to say to each other.

"Your sister seems nice" she tried

He didn't appear to agree "She does doesn't she?. But thats all it is. _Seems _nice"

George flashed him a smile "Cute. You have a good relationship though, I can tell"

Don shrugged and put the last of his and Ronnie's clothes in the washing machine "Family. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. How bout you? You got any brothers and sisters?"

She nodded "Five younger sisters, two parents and about a million other relatives all across the globe"

He looked amazed "Wow. I thought _my _gangwas big! Must be a real nightmare shopping for gifts huh?"

George grinned "Yeah and they're loud too. But I look...nothing like them. Apart from my dad, everyone's blonde and glamorous and...chatty. To say the _very _least"

"The odd one out eh?" he teased

She thought about this "Yeah, I...hold on a minute..." she reached in her jeans pocket to answer the phone and a frown crossed her face. "Yeah, I know...I know. I can't but...I'm bus...well...for how long? Fine. You owe me...I owe _you? Ha! Hmm. _Fine. I'll see you in a little while" she hung up and looked at Don. "Speaking of family..."

He raised his eyebrows "Emergency?"

"Oh yeah, my aunt Judith's going to be late to get her roots done. Its a _real _emergency" she said sarcastically "She needs me to babysitting...I better get moving...hmm, my clothes"

"Do you want me to take care of your washing for you?" he offered

She was surprised by his offer "Would you? Thank you so much, I'll be an hour or two. Tops"

Don waved her off "Yeah, yeah. I'll drop off the stuff at your place"

She beamed "I owe you one"

He held out his hands as she handed him her washing "What are partners for?"

George smiled one last time and then hurried off, he watched her go and thought that if this was anyone else he wouldn't be quite so eager to help but...George was a sweet girl, he liked her and he was more than happy to help her out. Which made his whole plan _not _to fall for her, quite difficult.

* * *

"20 minutes? Damn. What are we supposed to do for twenty minutes?" exclaimed Ronnie when she heard how long she and Danny would have to wait for their pizza.

"Really shouldn't have spent the last ten minutes arguing about toppings then should ya?" pointed out Danny as he leant against the counter. They moved aside to let another customer order a pizza, instead of retorting Ronnie glanced around the popular and thus crowded pizzeria.

"There's a batting cage down the street. Play a couple of games while we wait?" she suggested

Danny shrugged and looked up at the ceiling loftily "Yeah...but I'd _kick_ your ass. You do realise I nearly played pro?"

She imitated his smug body language "We may be calling a truce but uh...you're still an _ass_". Then she skipped off before he could respond. With a small smile he followed her out.

Danny paid for a game with some loose change and then the two New Yorkers headed towards a batting cage, as the sky was darkening there were a lot less people playing, only the more serious baseball fans were still left.

"Flip for it?" he said referring to who should start first

She gave him a wry smirk "Aren't you going to say ladies first?"

He jerked his shoulders up nonchalantly "If you think you _need _the head start. Go ahead."

Ronnie leant against the batting cage and eyed Danny competitively "How much you wanna put on it?"

Danny shook his head "Nothing, if you're as bad as Flack, last week he bet me ten bucks who could get out of work first"

She looked offended "I'm_ not _like that goober. Come on, make me an offer"

Danny could think of a few offers that weren't entirely appropriate. He cleared his throat. "Okay, if _you _win, I'll buy you a drink sometime"

She snorted in disbelief "How does _that _make me a winner. How bout if I win, you...buy my lunch for a week...and if you win, which I doubt..."

He cut in "If I win, which I _will._ _Then_...you'll find out what your end of the bet is"

She looked dubious "I'm not cleaning out your apartment or anything like that"

He nodded "Its nothing like that. Go ahead, play ball. Person with the least balls left wins"

She couldn't resist "That would be you then"

Danny's eyes widened at her outrageous pun and shook his head "Just play. Jesus!"

* * *

Ronnie went first and she was pretty impressive but was no match for Danny. At the end of their game, he walked (or more like strutted in Ronnie's opinion) out of their batting cage, the baseball bat held in one hand and swinging over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah" she muttered "You won. Big deal. We better go get that pizza"

Danny put the bat down "Woah, what about the bet?"

Ronnie let out a growl of frustration then nodded for him to tell her what the deal was.

"You let me kiss you" he said quietly with an unreadable look in his eyes. Ronnie's eyes widened to almost comical effect. Then she looked away and with her red hair obscuring her face he couldn't see what she was thinking. He worried he'd gone too far when she turned back, her cheeky grin firmly in place.

"All right. Get it over with". She was leaning against a fence, and had her eyebrows raised expectantly. He smirked. "C'mere then"

Ronnie scoffed "You want me, come and get me"

He shook his head and beckoned to her with his index finger "No, you come over here"

Ronnie laughed "This is ridiculous" she walked over to him and stood watching him with a mixture of curiosity and she couldn't lie; excitement. Danny meanwhile was feeling overwhelmed. What had he gotten himself into. Before he could chicken out, he lowered his head and pressed his lips gently against hers, he lingered for a few moments then moved back.

He looked at her patiently for a reaction of some sort. He inwardly chided himself, he was a little too long in the tooth to be getting a crush, but that was exactly what it felt like.

"Hmm. We really should go and get that pizza" she said and her face lit up with a slow impish smile, she turned away and began to walk. Danny's eyes widened, she really hadn't felt anything? Well, that was good then. It wasn't like he wanted to start anything up with her. Only...he wasn't so sure that was strictly true.

* * *

When Ronnie finally turned to the laundromat her brother was half asleep on a chair next to their washing machine which had long since stopped running.

"Yo! D! Wake up" she said and gently nudged his shoulder with the pizza box, she opened the lid and held the box under his nose

He snapped awake and scowled at her "Where you been?"

She explained about bumping into Danny and how they'd split the pizza in half but conveniently left out the part about her and Danny kissing. Mainly because she liked the idea of having _that _as a little secret, even _if _it didn't mean anything and she knew how overprotective her brother was, she did _not _need him breaking Danny's kneecaps.

"Man...how long have I been asleep?" he wondered to no one in particular

Ronnie started on a pizza slice and shrugged "Don't know. We've got to get these in a dryer, its getting late and I am so not missing Desperate Housewives"

He nodded "Hmm, yeah. I've got some work to catch up on too"

"Hey...where's George?"

"She had a family problem, I offered to do her clothes"

Ronnie's eyes rounded and she grinned "Aw. They call it puppy love indeed"

He chose to ignore her and then checked the washing machine. He swore loudly and looked at Ronnie. "Shit. The white clothes are pink"

Ronnie groaned "D! My new purple dress was in there!" she wolfed down the rest of her slice and rummaged in the machine, moments later she re-emerged holding up a red bra that wasn't hers so she assumed belonged to George.

Don slapped his hand against his forehead "Those were her clothes too" he muttered in frustration

Ronnie planted her hands on her hips "Don't worry, I can fix it."

He looked massively relieved "You sure?" at her nod he gave her a kiss on the forehead "You're a lifesaver"

Ronnie pushed him away "Yeah, yeah. What would you do without me?"

* * *

**A/N: _MORE REVIEWS! _I want MORE! Anyway, this was just a fluffy little piece and believe me if you think you know exactly where its going you're most likely way off. Goober-Friends refrence!**


	15. Modern Girls

**A/N: New chapter, enjoy and THANK YOU everyone. The previous posts were post Dancing With The Fishes and Bad Beat. By the way, I'm not even going to pretend there are anymore real cases in this story! I might do a few snippets but for once I'm all about the comedy and romance. Enjoy.**

_Post City Of The Dolls & Jamalot_

* * *

Danny cupped his hands to his mouth and breathed into them, it figured that no matter how many weather programmes he watched he could still never be prepared for the extent of New York's weather.

He'd just finished a case involving the death of the owner of a doll hospital, it had been one of a series of odd cases but to him it stood out more because he'd had the suspicion that Lindsay liked him a lot more than she was letting on.

Sure, they flirted here and there but he flirted with everyone. He wasn't sure it meant much but there was an NYPD benefit ball coming up and he had asked her to go with him.

This invitation was 'just as friends' of course and he had made this more credible by inviting the rest of the close knit CSI team to share a limo with him. That way he could subtly find out whether something with Lindsay was worth pursuing.

Then there was his on-off girlfriend Cindy with whom he had recently broken up with, she had been fun but she'd turned clingy fast and now continued to call him to 'talk' about their relationship despite his growing and obvious annoyance.

Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn't be easier just to be gay. Women could be a _lot_ of trouble.

As much as he enjoyed flirting with Ronnie it was clear she enjoyed with flirting with a lot of other people more. He had been like that not too long ago and perhaps that was why he was drawn to her, he liked her cockiness and her outrageous jokes but Lindsay was first of all _not _the sister of a close friend and seemed like someone he could see himself with over a long period of time.

As he crossed the street to meet up with Don at his apartment, he considered the fact that _if _he was wrong about Lindsay it might harm their working relationship which is why he was trying to be as subtle as possible.

"_Finally_" muttered the dark haired New Yorker as he answered the door

Danny grinned at Don "Sorry, I bumped into Aiden after the case. She's doing good, has a new project shes working on too"

He let Danny in and his friend thought that Don's apartment looked a lot better with a woman's touch about the place.

Don nodded "Good for her. All right listen...need to go sort something out back at work...George needs me"

Danny smirked "Well all right then. Don't let me get in the way of true romance"

Don gave him a dirty look "You want me to buy drinks later or not?"

Danny ran three fingers across his lips to indicate that they were well and truly zipped then Don continued talking "Good. So, I'm gonna be there for about twenty minutes I need you to pick Ronnie up from this dance studio downtown"

Danny made a face and Don looked at him pleadingly "Come on, I accidentally on purpose borrowed her car while mine was being fixed..but since_ I _can't go..."

Danny sighed reluctantly "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But now you owe _me _too. Where is this place again?"

* * *

Danny peered around the door into the dance studio, his eyes widened slightly feeling like his Christmases' had come all at once as the sight of five women all in various dance wear stretching and after a rehearsal.

"Yo! Danny" called Ronnie from across the room, still looking stunning even in her black sweats and white cropped sports top

She grabbed a gym bag from the ground and walked over to him, with a leggy red head.

"So who's your friend?" grinned the red head eyeing Danny up shamelessly

Ronnie rolled her eyes at the woman then she turned to introduce Danny to the rest of the room "Ladies this is Danny. Danny, this is...everyone"

Danny waved at the women cheerfully and was greeted by a chorus of; "Hi Danny!" the dancers were all batting their eyelashes and pouting, Ronnie knew that her friends were only teasing Danny and couldn't resist a knowing smile

Ronnie smirked at Danny's expression "Try not to drool so much buddy"

The red head winked at Danny "Come by again Danny. I'm Liz" she headed off towards the changing rooms with a flirtatious glance at him over her shoulder.

"Nice to meet you ladies" beamed Danny "Very nice"

Ronnie kissed her teeth "All right boy. You've had your fun. Don called about you giving me a lift back. Let's go" she started shooing him out of the class only for a lithe Australian blonde called Alanna to skip over to them.

"Ronnie honey, you got room in that car for one more?" she asked glancing sweetly at Danny

Ronnie gave her a pointed look but the blonde simply looked back innocently.

Danny smiled "Yeah, it'll be cool. I'm sure there's..._plenty_ of room"

* * *

**A**s Ronnie had predicted, Alanna had somehow managed to delay the car journey and in her sweetest voice had convinced Danny to take a coffee break with them in her 'favourite ever coffee place' before he drove the two women back to their separate homes.

As Danny went to order the drinks, Ronnie and Allana sat in the café awaiting their orders.

"So he's _cute_" mused Allana as she ruffled her already immaculate hair

"Allana, honey, I love you...but shut up" retorted Ronnie

Allana raised her eyebrows and giggled "So thats how it is. Wait...this isn't that guy you _pashed_ last week is it!" she exclaimed excitedly

Ronnie hurriedly shushed her friend by clapping her hand over Allana's mouth "You know I told Soreil that in confidence" she pouted as she moved her hand from Allana's mouth

Allana scoffed "You know that girl's got a big mouth. Once she knows...the whole group knows. Thats not the point anyway...what do you want to happen? If I know you...you've already got some little game working" she teased prodding her friend with a manicured finger

Ronnie rolled her eyes "There's _no_ plan. We just...work together"

Her friend wasn't convinced "You sly little minx...you know if you want my advice..."

"Hey, drinks up" said Danny appearing at the table, Allana beamed up at him "We were _just _talking about you. Detective"

Danny glanced at Ronnie suspiciously then back at Allana "All bad I suppose?"

Allana grinned coquettishly "Actually...all _good. _Well listen, I just remembered I have this little..._game to _to go and watch so..." she shot a conspiratorial look at Ronnie and then looked back at Danny "So...I better go. Thanks for the lift Danny" she kissed him on the cheek and did the same to a disgruntled Ronnie before skipping off with her coffee in hand.

* * *

"She seems a little too nice to be friends with you" teased Danny as he and Ronnie walked out of the café and towards the street where his car was parked

"Hardy har har" she took a sip of her coffee "I thought we were friends now? Play nice eh?"

He smiled and nudged her gently with his elbow "My sincere apologies. So..._buddy_; you going to the NYPD benefit ball?"

Ronnie glanced at him and smirked "Yeah actually. I guess you're going too. Got any offers?"

Danny chuckled "Hey...you know me. Beating 'em off with a stick. What about you?"

"I'm...considering my options" she replied ambiguously

They had now reached his car, he leant against it and eyed her thoughtfully "There's a few of us going in a limo so once you've considered your 'options', do you want to join the 'limo crew'"

Ronnie scoffed and got into the car "_Not_ if you call it that"

Danny nodded and headed around to the driver's seat and also entered the car "Fair enough. So how about it?"

Ronnie pushed her hair back and then flashed him a grin "Yeah all right. I'd be intrigued to see how you're going to pull off a tux"

He smiled and after putting his coffee in a cup holder; started the car up, leaving an amiable silence as he drove he considered asking her about _that_ kiss.

"Hey uh...last week. You remember I bet you to...kiss me? You aren't going to ask why?" he said as casually as possible

Ronnie seemed more preoccupied with adjusting her top "Uhm...not really. I'm _hot_, I mean I'm just surprised you didn't try and kiss me sooner"

There was a long pause where he gaped at her till she burst out laughing and playfully punched his arm. "Danny boy, I'm just kidding. Do you honestly think I'm _that _into myself?"

He smirked and turned to face the road "All right, all right. Jokes aside...you still didn't answer my question"

Ronnie cleared her throat; "Danny..." and broke into song "You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss..."

He groaned quietly then turned into a new street.

"Can you never give any straight answers?" he asked as he drove along steadily

Ronnie bit her lip and then answered seriously "Okay. Jokes aside...it was _just _a kiss. A bet even." She glanced at him suspiciously "You're not getting any ideas are you?"

He scoffed and didn't look at her "_No_. I'm just glad...y'know...we're on the same page. This means that we really are pals if we can be honest"

Ronnie beamed a little too brightly "Honesty _is _the best policy"

He rolled his eyes "Right"

They remained in silence for the rest of the journey.

* * *

Stella knocked on Mac's office door, a warm smile over her features. "Hey there boss" she said cheerily

He glanced up at her from his desk "Can I help you?" he asked not unkindly

"Its about this ball thats coming up, have you got a date yet?" she said walking over to his desk

Mac looked at her quizzically. "Uh...no, I didn't plan on getting one. I'm not going"

Stella looked put out "Oh. Why is that?"

He doubted telling her that the reason he wasn't able to go was because he knew he'd find it all too difficult to see her dressed up and no doubt looking gorgeous at the fund raiser with her boyfriend; would be entirely appropriate so he opted for his never fail excuse.

"I uh...have a lot of work to get on with" he replied smoothly

Stella shook her corkscrew curls and smiled "I'm disappointed Mac, this benefit is for _charity. _Plus, I wanted to ask you to go with me anyway"

He looked at her carefully "Why? I assumed you'd be taking...someone else"

Stella shrugged "Well, that didn't work out. Frankie is away in Italy showing off a new art piece and...besides...I was always going to go with _you_"

Mac didn't think he could be more surprised. Stella nodded and explained; "I mean...I don't think I'm ready to introduce him to everyone...just _yet_ and I'd love to see you in a tux. So? Will you go with me?"

Mac smiled "How could I say no?"

* * *

The next morning Don and George found themselves in the main reception of an exclusive antique book store in Greenwich Village. The owner was in his early forties, handsome with greying black hair and judging by his smart Versace suit and watch; obviously wealthy.

He was also the prime suspect in a murder involving a dead prostitute called Carrie Sumner AKA Candy Devine.

"NYPD. Detective Flack and this is Detective Wheil" said Don as he and George greeted the owner

"Ah. New York's finest. What can I do for you?" smiled Geoffrey Jameson

"Can we talk in private?" suggested George

Jameson looked around his store, there were quite a few customers around. He nodded "Of course. Follow me"

He lead them to his office, a well decorated room with expensive painting and jade wood furnishings.

He sat behind his desk and offered the two detectives a seat, which they declined.

"So. How can I help you?" he asked

"Your name was found in the address book of a Carrie Sumner, but you may know her as Candy Devine. She was murdered last night. Do you mind telling us what happened when you visited Candy?" stated Don

Jameson remained calm, but instead of answering Don, he spoke to George as if she had asked the question.

"I did…frequent…the house that Miss. Devine stayed in, I was feeling lonely that night. But I arrived at seven and left at eight thirty, I had a book convention in Upper West Side to be at. Around two hundred people can confirm my presence there"

"We'll see. You know Miss. Devine well?" asked Don

Again Jameson only addressed George. "We did talk a bit-polite conversation-and she may have mentioned a boyfriend but I'm not certain"

"Did you get this 'boyfriend's' name?" said Don, his voice had become edgy, he was irritated with the shameless way Jameson was mooning over George.

"Hey!" he snapped suddenly and slammed his hand on the desk, making George and Jameson jump.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you"

Jameson cleared his throat. "I'm sorry but…Dt.Wheil here…is _very _distracting if she doesn't mind me saying"

George's expression was stony "She does mind. We'll be seeing you around Mr. Jameson"

They walked out of the bookstore left without any suspects. "Well he was a creep" muttered George

"An innocent creep. We've got no suspects once we confirm his alibi" sighed Don, he leant against his car outside

George brushed her hair from her face "Yeah. Your right" She looked at him silently for a few moments

"Flack, how well do you know Adam Schwartz? He's with ESU?"

Don was thoughtful then nodded "Oh yeah...I met him while we were working a case with the team from Miami" he also remembered that Schwartz had asked about George when the case had ended.

She looked shy and crossed her arms "Well...er...he asked me to...accomp...go with him to this benefit and I just wanted to ask...find you what you think"

At his bemused expression she hastily added "I mean...what is he like? Coz I don't really know anyone around here and..." she trailed off and looked at him awkwardly

Don seemed to guess what she was thinking "Ah...I see. You want to know if he's got a bad rep? Well we're not that close but...he's all right. Decent guy"

George smiled "Thanks"

Don nodded and furrowed his brow "So does that mean you're going with him?"

George chuckled "If I can find a dress. I'm...not so much a fan of shopping"

He laughed as he thought of how much his sisters _loved _to shop, in fact so did a lot of women he knew. "Right...well...good luck with that. I can't tell the difference between one dress or the other"

George opened the car door and climbed in, Don paused before doing so and commended himself on how mature he was being about his feelings for George. There she was, asking him for romantic advice and he had been helpful and funny. He hadn't been the slightest bit jealous of Schwartz.

Not in the least.


	16. Old Fashioned Men

**A/N: ****Please review both chapters and thanks again for all these new reviews! Its all very sweet and I promise you more laughter romance and crazy antics from this fic! ; ) **

**The 'Modern Girls' title and the 'Old Fashioned Men' one put together are yet another Strokes song (Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men' which they did with Regina Spektor who is by the way wonderful. Go ahead and listen to her.**

**This chapter is extra long because I didn't want to break up the chapter, its funny (I hope) and a little fluffy. Enjoy.**

* * *

Sheldon arrived at Danny's apartment, a sleek black limousine parked behind him. Already in the limo were; George and her date as well as Lindsay. Danny stepped out in a neat black suit with a thin but not skinny tie.

Sheldon wolf whistled jokingly to which Danny gave him a wry look "Well now I _know_ you were checking me out in the locker room yesterday"

Sheldon scoffed as they walked down to the limo "I _told you_ there was a bug on your shirt!"

Danny smirked "Thats your final statement is it?"

The limo driver opened the door to the vehicle for them and they slid into their seats. Danny gaped at George and Lindsay who both looked stunning.

George wasin a simple black silk column dress that expertly highlighted her curves and her hair in softer curls reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour. Lindsay wore a strapless, empire line chiffon dress of dark green with a shimmery sheer overlay. She too had curled her hair and had pinned it up in a loose romantic style which suited her gentle nature.

"Well I'll be damned" said Danny with a grin "You both look wonderful" he added

Lindsay and George both blushed then exchanged a look before laughing. At everyone's expressions, Lindsay decided to explain;

"We actually went shopping together and agreed it was the worst experience ever. _Never_ go shopping for a dress"

Danny quirked an eyebrow "I'll try not to"

Everyone laughed at this and then introductions and excited chatter about the upcoming was made as the limo drove up to the Don and Ronnie's shared apartment.

Danny headed out of the limo, wanting to be the first to see Ronnie in her dress. First out of the brownstone apartment were Don and his date, a pretty if slightly vacant Polish brunette called Ana that Don had met a few weeks ago at the grocery store, he hadn't planned to ask her on such an important date but when he'd heard George had one he suddenly called Ana up.

She was wearing a low cut red dress that didn't allow for much movement aside from draping herself around Don.

She slunk into the limo with Don and squeezed in beside George's date meaning Don ended up sitting apart from her.

Danny glanced up at the brownstone; Ronnie had yet to emerge. He called to Sheldon that he was going up to get her and jogged up the stairs, the front door was still open so he let himself in.

"Hey Veronica? We've got a limo waiting downstairs..." he called into the house and glanced around

"Ready" said a familiar voice over his shoulder, he turned around and did a double take. He'd expected her to look good but not quite so...drop, dead _gorgeous._

Her 'dancers body' perfectly fit the rich purple silk fluid gown with a scooped surprisingly modest neckline. Her hair was back to blonde but it was a softer honey blonde that she'd swept to over one shoulder to show off her dangling silver earrings.

"Wow" he murmured quietly and then tried to cover it up with a more impressive comment but found that words failed him.

Ronnie smiled knowingly at him from under fluttering black eyelashes "You look good too", she walked past him to leave and he did another double take at the daring low back of the gown that showcased a toned, graceful back.

Danny was beginning to regret not asking her to be his date.

* * *

The Millennium Broadway Hotel looked beautiful, the decorators had created an inspired dreamy room that glowed with elegant creams and golds from the complicated yet not distracting centre pieces to the table clothes to the delicate beautiful food.

"We're supposed to eat these little things?" said Don clearly not impressed as he sat down at his table and a plate of appetisers was waved in his direction by a waiter

"Can't take him _anywhere_" muttered Ronnie to Sheldon who was her date for the night, to Danny's displeasure.

Stella smiled at Ronnie's comment and then glanced at the ballroom floor which was already filling up with dancers. "Well?" she said turning to Mac expectantly

"Is that your way of asking me to dance?" he smirked

Stella grinned "Yes. Come on, lets show these young kids how its done" she stood up and he looked at her in her midnight blue halter dress and found himself yet again unable to say no.

They made their way to the dance floor and disappeared in the crowd.

"Ooh. I wonder whats up with those two?" smiled Sheldon

Ronnie laughed "You old gossip queen"

"Hey!" he said indignantly "Don't start calling me a 'queen' of any sort"

Danny watched their banter and felt himself grow that little bit more jealous, he tried to turn his conversation to Lindsay only for Don's date Ana to make a baffling comment.

"If the ball is for police why do we have to pay?" she pouted, obviously bored

George blinked and replied "Well its really a fund raiser so..."

She was cut off curtly by Ana "I wasn't talking to _you_" she turned to Don "Can we dance baby?"

Ronnie made a face and a sheepish Don quickly got up and headed to the floor with Ana.

"She seems nice" said Adam staring after them

Ronnie scoffed and said something to Sheldon which made him laugh. Lindsay smiled at the two and then glanced at Danny.

"They seem to be getting on well, right?" she asked feeling nervous and unsure what to say around him, especially with the way he was looking in his suit.

"Yeah. Really well" muttered Danny as Ronnie giggled at something Sheldon had said. He looked at Lindsay and realised how unfair he was being by wasting energy obsessing over what was being said between Ronnie and Sheldon when he had a date with a pretty, intelligent woman.

"So...you must be pretty impressed with this place. I bet you don't get many of these in Montana" he teased and effectively broke the ice

Lindsay shook her head "I don't know where you get your ideas about Montana...I have actually been to a ball before you know"

He pretended not to believe her "_Right_. I'm sure"

She grinned and retorted wittily as they settled into their usual banter mixed with conversation about their work.

* * *

George smiled at some fellow officers around the room, at the moment they seemed more interested in her than Adam did he kept asking questions about Ana and talking about himself or his rigorous training regime.

"I mean not just _any _guy can get into ESU, like no offence but so what if Mac Taylor was a Marine? These days they're like border guards compared to the sheer skill of ESU..."

George flashed him a smile to pretend she was listening and got into her second flute of champagne. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Mac held Stella's fingers in his as she twirled around, he watched her hair shimmer and twirl with her and he realised that he hadn't blinked in quite a while. He blinked as she pulled back into him and the music slowed.

"Ah...this song is _so _beautiful" she said smiling at him and thought guiltily that she was glad she was with him that night rather than Frankie.

"Its pretty special" he admitted and he was rather glad for the change in pace as it allowed for closer proximity between him and Stella. He put his hand on her waist and danced expertly with her, not once did her eyes leave his.

George was on her third glass when Don returned with Ana. "I'm just resting my feet" he said wearily at her annoyed expression

"Fine! Someone _else _will dance with me" she looked expectantly around the table but Sheldon and Danny both looked away discreetly

Adam was not so subtle, he got to his feet a little too quickly. "If Flack doesn't mind..."

Don shot a look at George, he was more concerned about her feelings but she merely shrugged and held up a champagne flute as if to toast them "You have my blessing" she said sarcastically

Adam didn't notice her cool attitude and immediately went off to dance with the peppy Ana.

"Once a skank always a skank..." sighed Ronnie pointedly which Danny found amusing

Don gave her a warning look and she rolled her eyes and smiled brightly at Sheldon"Come on Hawkes, show me some of your moves"

He got up with a grin and took her arm "Yes ma'am"

Danny watched them go and was about to suggest he and Lindsay go up and dance when she beat him to the punch,

"I've got to put this dress to good use. We could go up and dance" she said shyly

He also took her arm as they stood up together, and he had to admit he was finding her gentle persona very endearing. Perhaps she was the one he really wanted.

Don looked over at George who didn't appear to be having as much fun as she could. "You all right?" he asked

She sipped her drink and thought to herself that it was typical that she could dress up to the nines but the only guy that she could get to be nice to her was someone she worked with and therefore had to be polite.

"Peachy" she stuffed an odd shaped appetiser into her mouth and sighed, she'd nearly made her way through the entire plate.

Don raised his eyebrows and then on a whim asked her to dance. George gaped at him but luckily she'd finished chewing her appetiser. "Uh...yeah...sure of course"

They walked up to the ballroom floor both feeling anxious, Don worried because it could fracture up their working relationship and George was worried because she was prone to falling over and was afraid that the grace that seemed to have possessed her thus far would not last throughout the evening.

However neither needed worry as once they joined the other dancers who were enjoying the swing music that was now being played by the live band and they soon relaxed and got into the music.

It was only when the music slowed down that George's mood was ruined by the sight of Adam passionately kissing Ana.

Don couldn't care less but he knew his sister would crow over being right about the woman, he looked apologetically at George.

"I'm sorry" he said plainly

She shook her head, suddenly embarrassed "Its not your fault. You're not the one..."

He sighed "It is...a little. I should have said he was kind of a player"

George rolled her eyes and sighed "I should have known better" she was about to turn back to her table when Don stopped her "Come on, keep dancing. Don't let _him _ruin your night. You've got a helluva lot more class than her anyway. You're a great cop, you're smart and...and...you look amazing"

George looked at him, clearly surprised, she blushed adorably then suddenly looked green "Thats so sweet..." she clasped her hand to her mouth and practically ran off the floor without explanation, Don followed her quickly, worry clear on his face.

* * *

Stella glanced at Mac a frown on her face "I'm really sorry"

He shook his head and stared outside at the night sky "Its all right. When you have to go you have to go"

They were stood outside the hotel waiting for Stella's taxi, Frankie had returned from Italy much earlier than expected and was now calling Stella to come and see him.

She looked at her sandalled feet guiltily as the taxi pulled up, deciding to leave on a positive note she made Mac promise to have fun.

He lied and said he would then sent her on her way. Once she was out of sight he pulled off his bow tie roughly and stuffed it in his pocket, then proceeded to walk the rest of the way home.

* * *

Danny and Lindsay sat back down at their table, both tired from dancing. The night was going so far so good thought Lindsay, but Danny seemed a little distracted.

He was perfectly charming and complimentary but she couldn't help feeling he'd rather be somewhere else. When they had got their breath back, she voiced her theory.

Danny wasn't surprised she'd noticed, there wasn't much he could get past Lindsay. "Yeah actually...but its not because you aren't a lot of fun Montana...I've just been needing to smoke y'know?"

"Oh! Thats good...I mean not the smoking but I was worried for a minute there that I was boring you!" she laughed sheepishly and he managed a smile

He looked up at the ballroom floor where Sheldon and Ronnie were in the midst of a group of admirers as they danced beautifully to the music. Danny watched them wryly, not at all surprised that Ronnie had drawn a crowed, even when she had just been sitting at the table she would constantly be visited upon by people complimenting her gown or greeting her.

Now he _really _needed to smoke.

"...So thats what made me laugh the most" finished Lindsay, unaware that Danny had missed nearly all of what she'd said, he laughed politely then remembered his smoke.

"Let me just light up for a few minutes...I'll be back before you can miss me" he said suddenly

Lindsay didn't seem to mind "Sure. Go ahead, this'll give me a chance to 'mingle'...or at least talk to George and Flack...wherever they are"

Danny smiled gratefully and headed out of the building.

* * *

Don held George's hair back with a grimace on his face as she retched into the bushes once again. They were outside the hotel and the sickly female detective was currently throwing up in the beautifully designed floral bushes outside that had been set up just for the night.

"I think I'm done now..." she groaned only to clutch her stomach and throw up again. Finally she was done, she stumbled to her feet with the help of Don who propped her up with a hand around her waist. She leaned into him, feeling disoriented and weak but thankfully no longer like vomiting.

"I think I should go home" she mumbled

He passed the back of his palm over her clammy forehead and sighed "What did you eat? Were you drinking a lot?"

George shook her head "I just had three glasses of champagne at worst I get a headache"

He looked thoughtful "Was it those appetisers? I had some and I feel fine"

She shrugged "I don't know...what were they?"

"Seafood things" he said and then at her look realised she must have been allergic to them too

"Great"

"Can you just get me a cab? I'll be fine"

He looked at his watch "A cab at this hour? Look...I'll walk you back okay?"

George frowned "No...you go...I'm fine"

Don scoffed and held her up a little more than began to walk "You live what...thirteen blocks away? It'll be good...some fresh air and I can tell you about the last time _I _got drunk"

George who felt too awful to protest just nodded and let him take her home.

* * *

Ronnie spotted Danny first, she too had come out to smoke and found him leaning against the building, looking moody and if she had to admit; _sexy_.

"Figures I'd see you here" she said as she approached him he looked up at her and smiled lightly

"Don't pretend like you weren't _looking _for me" he replied as she stood beside him he handed her the cigarette without asking and she took a drag with a wry smile

"This is as classy as I get" she chuckled and he grinned "So whats up with you then?" she asked

Danny looked at her quizzically "What do you mean?"

"Tonight. Sheldon said you've been kind of short with him tonight and giving him weird looks" she explained and then gave him a teasing look "Did you two have a lovers tiff?"

He rolled his eyes and shot her a sarcastic look "You're a riot(!). Did he really say that?" He wondered if he had been _that _obvious.

"Yeah...I noticed it too...but you know me I'm not the confrontational type"

They both smiled as she handed him back the cigarette, Danny shrugged and tried to think of a suitable response. Then he decided to try something.

"You want me to be honest?" he said staring at her intently

Ronnie nodded encouragingly "Yeah, go on"

He paused before he began and then went right out and said it "I'm jealous"

Knowing full well what he meant Ronnie raised an eyebrow playfully "Geez...if you want Sheldon you can have him"

Danny gave her a pointed stare and was surprised that she couldn't match it. Was she actually blushing?

"I'm a little jealous because...you look..." he chuckled slightly "You look...so _good_...and I should have been the one to dance with you tonight. I know I sound like an idiot right now but I had to say it"

Now Ronnie looked at him "So why didn't you say something earlier...or do something before?"

He tucked his hands in his pockets "I _kissed_ you"

Ronnie scoffed "That was a _bet_ I'm sorry if I didn't take it seriously. You had a chance to ask me here or say something but I guess you like the chase a lot more than you like doing anything about it"

Danny removed his glasses and cleaned them with his sleeve before putting them back on again. "Look, I'm sorry if you thought I was just messing you around. I'm not about that"

Ronnie smiled "Its cool, I think I wasn't so...upfront myself. Listen, lets just...talk about this later. Right now there's a party we're supposed to be enjoying...I'm not about to ditch my date for you and...I won't let you ditch yours...but...I _will _dance with you for now"

She held out her hand and he took it, smiling.

Danny made sure he enjoyed every moment of his dance with Ronnie, holding her close to him, he put his hand on her the nape of her smooth bare back and they swayed to the sounds of a classic Isley Brother's song.

She felt wonderful to hold and she felt the same about him. He gently brushed his thumb against the back of her hand and smiled as she lowered her head onto his shoulder.

He wondered if he should ask her what she wanted to happen between the two of them but he didn't want to spoil the mood so he said nothing.

The song ended far too quickly for both of them.

"Lindsay's probably looking for you" she said quietly

Danny nodded, knowing she was right. "Can I call you later?"

Ronnie smirked teasingly "You know how to use the phone. I'll see you around Danny" she moved from his hold and went to find Sheldon.

He watched her go and again wished he'd asked her to go to the fund raiser first.


	17. Then Came The Rain

**A/N: You were right about the last two chapters...I'm just not good at fluff! But believe me I'm trying okay! Anyway, this chapter is quite angsty, of course there's some comic relief from Ronnie and Danny but otherwise...angst.**

* * *

Stella arrived in Mac's office in her usual sunny mood. "So, how was the benefit?"

He looked at her and then looked back at his computer "It was fine"

"Oh. Just _fine_. I thought you'd have some exciting stories to tell by now" she grinned

He cleared his throat "Stella, if you don't mind. I'm a little busy"

She raised her eyebrows and wondered what was possibly wrong with him. "Oh of course. You can tell me about it later then"

He didn't bother to look up "Maybe"

Stella shrugged "Fine" then she stalked back out of his office. Mac glanced back up once she was gone, he hadn't meant to be so short with her but he decided that perhaps he was better off this way instead of clinging to the hopeless idea that she might feel something for him. He was too old and too wise for that.

* * *

George woke up to the feel of her dog licking her palm with a sick taste in her mouth and a heavy headache.

She groaned, sat up haphazardly in her bed and found she was still in the dress from the benefit. Slowly the night came back to her and she felt sick again.

Stumbling to her feet she clambered out of bed and pushed the bedroom door open, and was startled when she saw Don in her kitchen with two white Starbucks bags.

He was wearing a suit but not the one he'd worn the night before.

"What...?" was all she could manage

He smiled sympathetically "You still feeling rough?"

George self consciously crossed her arms across her chest "Um...yeah...what...what are you doing here?" she replied and watched as her normally suspicious dog bounded over to Flack who crouched down to the animal and patted it. _Since when does Atticus like anyone?_

"I stayed here...on your couch obviously to keep an eye on you. Hope you don't mind but you kept...getting sick" he explained pleasantly

George blushed furiously "I'm so sorry about that. I'm such an idiot...how could I have _not _known they were seafood"

He smiled good naturedly "You had your mind on other things"

She frowned as she thought of Adam and Ana's public display of affection. "To say the very least"

He changed the subject; "Anyway, I woke up, walked Atticus and then I went home to get changed...I picked up some bagels on the way"

She stared at him in surprise. When she'd first met Don he'd seemed to be more brusque and cocky than anything but now she found herself intrigued by this gentler side to him, not because she particularly liked it better but because it made her wonder about the reasoning behind it.

"You like bagels right?" he said after she didn't say anything

George nodded quickly "Oh yeah. Sure. I love them...but you don't have to stick around. Get to work and I'll catch up with you"

Don shrugged and grabbed one Starbucks bag "All right. Don't worry, I'll talk to Mac"

She flushed again and stopped him before he left "Oh and uhm...thanks...thank you for everything. I owe you major"

He smiled easily "What are partners for?"

* * *

_Post Trapped_

It was pouring with rain and Danny Messer was pissed. His evening with his brother hadn't quite gone as he'd hoped, they'd argued as usual and things had been tense and awkward.

Sometimes Danny wondered why he bothered.

If his father didn't care then why did he?

He growled as the rainfall increased. To sum up; he'd been trapped in a panic room with a dead body and no air conditioning, on _finally_ being released he'd nearly been shot at and then his disastrous meeting with Louis and finally the rain.

He scanned his watch, it was nearly one in the morning and he had no intention of going to sleep. Looking down the street he realised he was nearer work than he'd thought.

Perhaps there was a way to lift his mood after all...

Danny peered around the glass screen leading into the DNA lab. She was still working, and apparently was one of only a few, the halls were practically deserted and he found it slightly odd to find his work place so quiet and desolate. He found himself glad that he didn't work the graveyard shift.

He watched her work, scribbling almost non stop for a few minutes, her hair was down but still neat and she had discarded her shirt leaving her in a green vest that did wonders for her.

He smiled and cleared his throat.

"Well look what the cat dragged in" she said with a wry smirk

He raised his eyebrows "Its nice to see you too Veronica" he walked over to her desk and she beamed at him "So you're finally out of the closet?"

Danny chuckled at her innuendo and nodded "Yeah and I'm fine. Thanks for asking"

She got to her feet and suddenly hugged him "Good" she said with a genuineness that touched him. His clothes dampened her vest but not to the extent where she would have cause to be embarrassed. After a lingering moment Ronnie let her hands drop from him but he did not do the same, instead he kept his hands on her waist and tried not to think of how little material separated him from her skin.

"Danny?" she said looking at him curiously

He smirked impishly "I've been wanting to get a straight, serious answer from you for a while now and I guess...I owe you a little honesty too"

Ronnie smiled innocently "_Really? _That sounds fascinating! _Do_ go on" then she rolled her eyes and put her palms against his damp shirt "Would you mind...letting me go?"

He shook his head firmly "Nope. Nuh uh" then without warning he raised her up off the ground and hoisted her up onto a desk

She narrowed her eyes in warning "Explain. _Now_"

Danny moved close towards her, putting a hand down on the surface on either side of her. Ronnie chagrined; wished her legs had been crossed.

"You're not leaving until we get to talk. For real this time"

Ronnie exhaled and Danny smiled for a moment as his eyes rest briefly on her pouting mouth when he met her eyes again she had an eyebrow arched. He cleared his throat.

"You have feelings for me"

Being in the position that she was, Ronnie found it very difficult to avoid Danny's searching gaze. She narrowed her eyes then exhaled.

"Fine. I do."

He beamed triumphantly and she rolled her eyes "I may just be saying that to get you off my back"

Danny chuckled "I have feelings for you _too_. So whats the problem? Why is it every time it looks like we're getting somewhere you play it off as meaningless?"

Ronnie pouted again which Danny found immediately irresistable but he restrained himself, there were other things to be dealt with first.

"Elaborate for me"

He straightened his back but retained his position. "I like you. You know that...and I think you feel the same about me...yet...every time something happens or is about to happen...you treat it like a game"

"Maybe it is" she said stubbornly and folded her arms

Danny sighed, this wasn't going to plan. "Thats all it is then?"

She looked at him and couldn't lie. "Yeah...fine...so I..._like_ you. I also know your reputation, Danny...can you blame me for not taking you seriously?"

He shook his head in disbelief "Did you ever stop and try and find out if any of the bull shit people decide to say about me was true?"

Now she looked embarrassed "_No_...but...I'm just not someone who likes to be messed around. I've got to protect my interests you know?"

Danny frowned "I don't...so...if thats how you felt why didn't you make it clear that you didn't want anything from me?"

Ronnie unfolded her arms and placed her hands just next to his own. "I shouldn't have lead you on...but Danny..." she looked at him with a flirtatious gleam in her eyes "...you're very difficult to resist"

"So why try?" he said cheekily and brightened further when she smiled

"_Argh!_ Stop being cute" she laughed and he grinned unashamedly then he returned to a more serious expression "You've got to trust me here. This...whatever we have...I respect that and I respect _you_ and as much as I like you...if you don't want anything to happen between us...thats all right. Okay?"

Ronnie only smiled then she lowered her head till her lips were only inches from his. "Kiss me again" she murmured. _If_ this kiss was perfect then she was going to do it, she was going to actually try a real live adult relationship and try trusting a man for once. If it didn't work out it meant that their chemistry was merely tension and she knew how _that _could be solved, but she wanted more than that this time. Something a little less superficial.

Danny didn't need any explanation. He closed the gap between them and planted a gentle kiss on her mouth, he kissed her again and this time he raised his palms up to her hips as she parted her lips. When they both reluctantly ended the kiss Ronnie was flushed and Danny was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well?"

She pouted "Damn you Danny Messer. You'll be the end of me"

He chuckled and was about to lean in and kiss her again when she placed a finger on his lips.

"There's one problem"

Danny arched his eyebrows expectantly

"My brother and your good friend"

He stood up straighter "Ah"

Ronnie traced her finger over his lips and smiled impishly "That shouldn't really be a problem if you don't mind keeping a secret for a little while"

Danny leaned into kiss her again and this time she didn't protest. "I can do that" he murmured into her lips.

* * *

George stepped outside of the building and out onto the back streets. She leant against a graffiti covered brick wall and exhaled several times. Her father's face came into focus in her mind and she could almost hear his voice rebuking and belittling her again. Her confidence was wavering by the second.

She had failed.

Her latest case involved the rape and murder of a Loren Fuller whose killer had managed to escape trial due to 'lack of evidence' and it was all her fault.

"You okay?" said a voice from further down the street

George looked up, startled. Flack half-smiled at her and walked over, wearing a concerned expression.

"Hmm. Uh…yeah. I'm great. Fantastic. What do you think?" she retorted sounding harsher than she meant to

"I think you could do with talking this out. I know you 'can handle your own' but it's all right to get a little edgy." he said, not taking offence at her tone of voice

George didn't answer, she brushed her hair from her face and stared up at the greying sky.

"I won't think any less of you than I already do" he joked

George smiled and then looked saddened "I uh...was on a sting a few years back, to catch this serial rapist, he was picking off prostitutes. Young ones…and they had _no _one to go to. No one believed them, but luckily a lot of them had family who _did _care and who _did _believe them so we started investigating…and I got attached to this girl, Kim..."

She trailed off and he put an encouraging hand on her shoulder "Go on"

George frowned uncertainly then continued "Kim was sixteen, had no one who really cared about her but she still wanted to help us out. So I went undercover as a friend of hers. I was so close…but then the rapist found me out, I got away. But…Kim…Kim wasn't so lucky. We caught him in the end but that didn't bring her back."

She paused for breath, surprised at how much calmer she felt having said that.

Flack nodded sympathetically "I'm not sure I have any quick answers for that…but I do know that you're a good cop. I know that you wouldn't have intentionally put Kim's life in danger…you just did your job and no one's going to blame you for that"

George looked up at Flack and gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you"

She found herself unable to tear her gaze from his and when she did, she smiled nervously

"I think I better get back inside then"

Flack watched her leave, as he went inside a few moments later he began contemplating breaking his rule about not dating his co-workers.

* * *

**A/N: I would like to send out a massive thank you to the past reviewers! I think its obvious by now how much I LOVE it when people actually comment and say what they liked instead of a 'good' here and there. I wish my computer worked long enough to give me time to read all your fics but I promise I'll get around to it! After all I can only return the thanks you've sent me.**

**Anyway, THANK YOU Apodrru, Falcon Princess especially Aphina, Axellia, snowbear96 for being consistently supportive.**


	18. Honey And The Moon

**_A/N:_ I seriously love your reviews! The best kind for me, as I've said; are really good constructive ones with detailed ideas and friendly criticism and the ones where the reader really gets into the story and the characters. I've had a lot of good reviews and support and I'm happy, I never wanted a hundred reviews etc for this story I just wanted more notice to be taken of it and I've got that and I'm more than pleased.**

**Thank you very much.**

**Title is a song by Joseph Arthur. Fair warning by the by, this is more of a Ronnie and Danny chapter (I really am_ not _showing favouritism...much ; ) but the other characters will have stronger roles later. **

**I'd like to point out at this late stage, that my disclaimer is on my user page for those who haven't read the first page. Thanks.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

_Post Wasted_

"Hey Danny"

The man in question looked up and smiled at Stella she didn't smile back. He wondered what was up, she'd been acting off lately and it didn't take a forensic scientist to pick up on the cool behaviour between her and Mac.

"Yo Stel. What's up?" he asked amicably as he quickly did his write up

"I was just looking for Ronnie actually, I wanted to give her a birthday gift. Is she back from visiting Chad in Vegas yet?" she asked

He raised his eyebrows and kept writing "Why are you asking me?"

"I couldn't find Flack and you two are friends. I figured I'd ask" she replied flatly and didn't notice his tone but he did pick up on hers

"You all right Stel?" he asked quietly

Stella exhaled and looked as if she was about to say something but thought better of it "I will be...listen. I'll leave this with you"

He looked at her carefully as she put down the pink paper bag she'd brought containing Ronnie's gift. Stella made an effort to smile and start up a conversation.

"So what did _you _get her?" she asked as she spotted a black shoe box wrapped with a red bow by his jacket before Danny could stop her Stella had picked up the shoe box to examine it.

"This is _Christian Louboutin!" _she exclaimed and gaped at him in surprise

Danny put away his case file and grabbed the box back "I guess. I don't know, I didn't really look"

Stella let out a low whistle "The start prices for these kind of shoes are i_nsane_" she looked at him knowingly and Danny became increasingly uncomfortable with her satisfied smirk

"What?" he snapped and grabbed his jacket

"Out with it" grinned Stella "How long have you had feelings for her? No guy spends _this much _on shoes unless he means it"

Danny furrowed his brow and tried to look serious "Stella, they are just _shoes._ There's nothing going on with us"

"Oh its 'us' now is it?" she said growing more and more gleeful "Well you _do _have a lot of chemistry..."

Danny shook his head "Seriously Stella I don't know what you're getting at here..."

"Stella!" said Sheldon coming into the lab and fortunately for Danny putting an effective stop on the conversation.

"Glad I found you. Mac's looking for you" he said with a charming grin

Stella frowned "Whats it about?"

Sheldon shrugged and Stella sighed. "Right, thanks. See you guys" she then headed out and made her way down the department to Mac's office.

* * *

Mac sat on the edge of his desk and wondered what he was going to say, he wanted to apologise. That much was true, but at the same time he didn't want to give the game away and end up telling her how he _really _felt. After all, she had Frankie now and they seemed serious. He wasn't about to get in the way of that.

Even if he did, she wouldn't want him.

"Mac?"

He realised he hadn't heard her come in. She looked as beautiful as ever, more so each day he thought.

"Stella" he said and tried to remember what he wanted to do

"You wanted to talk to me?"

He nodded sharply "Yes. I wanted to apologise if I've been at all...unnecessarilycool towards you"

Stella shrugged and with an indifferent raised eyebrow said; "Work must be getting on top of you. You should really get some rest some time"

He sighed briefly and tried again "I really_ am _sorry. I shouldn't have taken out whatever problems I've been having on you"

Now she seemed appeased "I'm sorry too. I've been a real bitch huh?"

They both laughed and then she watched him with an unreadable expression "Mac, you know you can talk to me right? Whenever you want"

He shifted uncomfortably and stood up "Its fine. Really, there's nothing to talk about"

She snapped suddenly "See! This is _exactly _it. Everything is always _fine _with you. How can anyone care about you when you won't let anyone close enough?"

He knew she was right but he hated to admit so and merely glared at her. They stared at each other for a long moment before she stormed out. The next time they saw each other she knew Mac would avoid talking about what happened or she'd apologise and they'd go back to where they were, square one.

Still, she was glad she'd said it. Before, she'd been too afraid to upset him because of how much she felt for him and now...maybe her feelings were well and truly gone for him.

* * *

George rubbed her neck tiredly. It was late and she was furious. Here she was chained to her desk, sleepless and hungry. She needed results and she wasn't getting them, and she felt like she hadn't had a break in days.

"George" said Flack over her shoulder

She turned to look at him and stared more at the coffee mug he was holding. He placed it on her desk "Drink up" he ordered

George took a long drawl obediently and felt slightly more perked up by the coffee. "God that feels great" she sighed

Flack pulled up a chair beside her "You better go home and get some sleep. Why are you still here anyway?"

"Commonalties Flack. I'm going back to the start…problem is there's _nothing _there. I can't sleep. It's so frustrating…I mean we can't even find out who makes the dresses or where the corsages are from!" she groaned tiredly, her hair was in a disarrayed ponytail. Wiry black curls falling over her eyes.

"You'll see more though. Go on get some sleep…"

"No…I can't. Thanks for caring. You can sleep for me" she smiled weakly and drank some more coffee

Flack shook his head and placed his hand on her wrist "Hey. Your worrying me here. If you don't get some sleep voluntarily I'm going to have to drag you from there" he said gently

George smiled softly as he released her wrist "Listen Flack, I totally appreciate..._everything _you've done for me but I really don't need you to..._protect _me. I am a cop after all. I can handle myself"

He shrugged "Yeah, sure. Of course" he sat down at his desk with a frown and George sighed. They clearly weren't going to work as partners. She needed a new partner and as for Flack; he needed a new crush.

* * *

Danny finally finished work, he clocked out and rushed out of the building, balancing his gift to Ronnie under one arm and Stella's gift on one hand. He had been looking forward to this night for a long time now. Ever since his and Ronnie's kiss they'd yet to have a minute alone together, work had been hectic and stressful and there never seemed to be a time when either of them could be alone. Ronnie had been tied up with work and organising her trip to Vegas with her brother where she would visit Chad and see the sights for her birthday and so the most he'd gotten to see her was a brief kiss in the hallway before Mac had almost caught them. Right now he was missing her something crazy and he couldn't _wait _to get his hands on her and get to act out all the fantasies he'd been having when he _should _have been working.

He found her waiting outside his apartment, sat on the hood of her car looking tanned and gorgeous in the evening light. She flashed him her famous wicked smile from behind her sunglasses.

"I had to come back in the middle of a _heatwave_" she said and hopped off the car, he put the boxes down on the roof of the car and beamed at her

"C'mere a minute"

She took off her sunglasses and sauntered over to him, he took her arms and put them around his shoulders then they shared a lingering passionate kiss

"Miss me?" she said softly and bit his bottom lip playfully

He slid his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes "Like you wouldn't _believe_"

She wriggled out of his grasp and took him by the hand "Come on, lets go inside and you can _show _me how much you missed me"

Danny grabbed the two gifts on top of his car with one hand and happily obliged.

Once inside the apartment Ronnie headed over to his kitchen and smiled flirtatiously "So, what is this 'big date' you had planned?"

Danny smiled back and handed her gifts to her "You open these first while I set things up. Go on, over by the couch and _don't _look"

Ronnie accepted the gifts cheerfully and did as he'd asked. He laughed to himself as he set up the kitchen while listening to Ronnie's exclamations of delight at the gifts.

"I love _these_! I can't believe you got me them..._God_, they're beautiful!" she cooed as she slipped on a pair of vertiginous patent leather black heels; the latest from Christian Louboutin.

Then she moved on to Stella's gift and let out a laugh "Stella's a real saucy woman" she said with a grin

Danny called her over with a pleased smirk "All right, get yoursexy butt over here" he pressed play on the CD player in his kitchen and quietly Nina Simone sang in the background

Ronnie smiled and headed over, holding Stella's gift behind her back. He stood in front of the opening into his kitchen

"You liked your presents then?" he smiled

Ronnie looked at him from under her eyelashes "Mm hmm. I really did. In fact, I was thinking what if I wear these..." she revealed Stella's gift and held it up in front of her. It was a Chantilly lace and chiffon deep blue lingerie set with matching suspenders and stockings "...with the shoes you got me tonight. What do you think?"

Danny's jaw dropped then he smirked and closed the space between them "I think you're _stunning_"

Ronnie giggled and they kissed for a few moments, she put her hands on his chest and ended the kiss "But _first_...we eat. What's the surprise?"

Putting the lingerie aside on one of the surfaces of the kitchen for the time being, Danny put his arm around Ronnie's waist and lead her into the kitchen where he'd placed a picnic blanket on the floor and put several small covered plates along with champagne and a birthday card.

"Happy belated birthday" he said and curled an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side

She beamed delightedly and he grinned, loving the expression on her face "So, I got looking around and I found the five _b_est aphrodisiacs in the world"

Ronnie let out a dirty laugh "_Jesus_ Danny! I've heard of a one track mind before..." she teased he rolled his eyes with a grin and reluctantly released her so that he could sit down

"Come on, sit here" he sat with his legs outstretched, Ronnie sat down in between them and grinned as he wrapped a silk blindfold around her eyes. He adorned her neck with brief soft kisses as he tied it before he then reached for the first plate; he uncovered it and gently picked up the first treat

"Okay, just open your mouth a little..._perfect_" he said softly and placed the treat on her tongue, Ronnie slowly savoured the test and tried to get accustomed to it

"What do you think?" he murmured into her ear, which she had to admit was far more of an aphrodisiac than whatever he'd just fed her

"Hmm...tasted fruity. But I have no idea"

"Black figs" he said grinning and went for the next plate; oysters.

"Ah. _No_" she said after trying them

Danny wasn't put off, he held up a strawberry and instructed her to take a bite

Ronnie did as he asked and a smile twitched up at the corner of her lips "Mmm" she purred and he had to use extreme will power not to get too excited. There was plenty of time for that later.

"Good to know" he said and kissed her neck again, inhaling her fragrance while she leant back into him "Hmm...right. Next up"

This time he had a plate of honey, he held it up in front front of her and took her hand guiding her to the plate, he dipped her finger into the plate and raised it to her lips, she licked the honey from her finger and smiled slowly

"_That _was honey"

He pressed his lips onto her shoulder blade and she let out a small sigh of pleasure "Let me have a little more"

Danny wasn't about to say no, so this time he dipped his own index finger in the honey and just as he was about to bring it to her lips, his Blackberry buzzed irritatingly against his hip.

Ronnie sighed, but this time out of annoyance, Danny growled in frustration "Sorry" he apologised "It might be dispatch"

She nodded in understanding and waited patiently for him to answer.

"Montana?"

Ronnie arched an eyebrow. Now _that _was a mood killer. She removed the blindfold and twisted her head to face him, his expression had turned very serious suddenly.

"Yeah, I hear you. No...its all right. Look, I'll come down there. I'll be there in five minutes" he hung up and looked at Ronnie apologetically

"I'm seriously sorry about this but uh...Monta...Lindsay's dad was visiting her and he had a stroke. She's at the hospital now, she just needs someone there" he explained

Ronnie tried not to be selfish but she pouted all the same "And _you _have to be there?"

Danny furrowed his brow "Course I do. I'm being a pal" he tilted her chin up with one hand "You understand right?"

Ronnie turned her whole body around till she was on her knees and facing him "Yeah, yeah" she allowed him to kiss her and then fixed him with a smouldering look

"Come back soon all right?"

He nodded determinedly "Hell yeah. Why don't you try on that set Stella got you and wait around here. I promis. I'll be an hour, hour and a half tops" he said getting to his feet, as he was about to leave he grabbed her car keys "I'm just taking a little insurance. You stay _right _here"

She waved at him as he left, sighed and then smiled. She headed into his bed room with the lingerie set to change.

* * *

Five hours later, an exhausted Danny returned, to find Ronnie sat in the living room watching TV and now in the black coat she'd been wearing when she came in.

"Hey" he said sheepishly

Ronnie glared at him "Can I have my car keys. Its late" she said standing up and saw a flash of the sensational looking lingerie set under her coat

"Can I say sorry first?" he said edging over to her

"You're forgiven" she said flatly "Keys please"

Danny sighed and could have kicked himself for getting side tracked, but after Lindsay found out that her father was stable he'd offered to take her out to eat as she looked like she needed it. They'd ended up talking and it wasn't until a few hours later that he remembered his new girlfriend would be waiting for home and would probably be_ really _pissed at that stage.

He walked over to her and put his hands on her hips "Did I ever say how _gorgeous _you look when you're mad?" he tried

Ronnie shrugged him off "Danny, I fell asleep in this get up! I even put my dress in the wash coz I didn't have a change of clothes and I figured I'd need it...so I'm hungry and tired and I'd _really _like to get home"

He reached for her again, stroking her cheek bone "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. Let me make it up to you" he insisted and brushed his lips against her jaw line, at the same time sliding his hands under her coat and briefly thumbing the expanse of bare flesh across her stomach

Ronnie knew now she was going to give in, but she wasn't about to make it easy for Danny. She slunk out of his reach and buttoned up the coat.

"Nice try but..." before she could continue he was close to her again and kissing her deeply she exhaled as he let her go and stared into his sparkling eyes.

"You're forgiven" she said and this time she meant it

"Glad to hear it" he chuckled and then scooped her up in his arms, giggling Ronnie let him carry her into his bedroom. Danny was a very persuasive guy, popular, charming as hell, basically everything she _didn't _want to feel for him she felt. She just hoped that for once_he_ was worth it in the end.

* * *

**A/N: How do you know when you've been writing fan fiction for too long? You start dreaming about your own characters! Actually the dream gave me a _great _idea for a plot, which works excellently with what I'm doing...**


	19. Ask Me Anything

**Ask Me Anything.**

**A/N: I bet you all expected the first 'adult scenes' to be from the smutty talking Ronnie and Danny eh? Well, no such luck for Danny fans...but I hope you enjoy this anyway. Fair warning though, although this chapter isn't explicit (I'll leave that to the more accomplished smut writers ; ) it _is _'adult'. Fair warning anyway...**

* * *

The female detective staggered to her feet and gingerly dabbed at the bloody bruise on her forehead. George had been pursuing a suspect with Flack when the suspect had changed his mind and decided to fight instead of run. Growling she stared at the gun lying unused on the ground and crashed back against a chain link fence. 

"You all right?" asked Don, breathless and bleeding from his upper arm but fortunately it was only a superficial wound

"Yes" George managed through gritted teeth

He didn't seem convinced and walked over to her, instinctively reaching for her bruise, she jerked away from him.

"I'm _fine_" she hissed and went to retrieve her gun

Mac approached from further behind where he had tried to go back over the route the suspect had taken to see if he had dropped any evidence. No such luck.

"You two okay?" he asked wearily

George and Don nodded briefly. Mac exhaled "We did our best. I think your chief would agree with me here; you two need to get back home, rest a couple of hours and be back at the precinct with fresh eyes"

George shook her head, admant that she be allowed to continue working "Its fine Mac, _I'm _fine. Give me a coffee and I'll be good to go"

Don agreed "Yeah, I can do it"

Mac shook his head "You've both been working too hard on this, we'll get him. You _know _that. Get home, get some rest and get back to me in three hours"

George frowned "But I..."

Mac shook his head "No buts. Flack, can you drive Detective Wheil home?"

Now she was irritated.

"I can _walk_" she snapped

Mac looked pointedly at the way George was limping then waited for Don's answer. The tall detective nodded.

"Yeah, I can do that"

He began to make his way to his car and after a moment, George resentfully followed.

"You want to talk about it yet?" offered Don as he drove

George remained stubbornly silent.

He narrowed his eyes and perceptively guessed that she was angry about more than just the lost suspect.

"Whats really going on with you?" he asked

George snapped "There's the fact that a suspect _just _escaped and _I_ couldn't fire my stupid gun, then you're _always _treating me like I'm some rookie who needs to be hand fed!"

Don's eyes widened and he glanced around at her, she sat there fuming in the passenger seat, completely having forgotten about her bruise.

"I was just trying to help you out today. Its what partners do" he shot back

She scoffed furiously "Thats bullshit! You treat me like I'm made of porcelain and I'm _sick _of it! I've been a cop for practically all my life, I don't _need_ more babysitting and special treatment!" she spat

"So all those favours I've done for you...you're just throwing that in my face now? What the hell is your problem?" he retorted and swerved just missing the curb

"You're just _like_ them!" she growled and then realised she'd said too much

"Who?"

When she didn't say anything, he pushed firmly.

"_Who_?_"_

George buried her head in her hands "My father, my uncles...no girl in their family is ever going to survive as a cop. I practically had to change my name so that I could get where I am without his help...and now I get to this job and you treat me exactly the same"

Don's eyes flashed in anger, furious that she had reacted to what he thought was kindness the way she had. That was the last time he did _her _any favours.

They finally arrived outside George's apartment after a silent car ride steeped in tension. George tenderly stepped out of the car and thought about saying something to him but changed her mind and started for her apartment stairs, wincing inwardly at the pain but determined not to show it.

"You're really stubborn, you know that. It pisses me off"

She felt Don's hand around her waist, and despite his own pain he helped her up the stairs. She turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry" she said sheepishly "I just blew up in there. My past, my family...they're not you"

He shrugged amicably "See, now we're _finally _being honest with each other and you're right. I've been _way _too nice to you. Come Monday, all you're getting is attitude"

George smiled "That sounds like fun" she hesitated as she opened her door, and called for him just as he was going back down to his car

"Let me do something for _you _this time. I can help with that cut...I've got bandages and everything..."

Don flashed her a mock suspicious grin "Yeah right. The minute I come in, you're going to set that dog of yours on me"

She chuckled faintly "Would you believe my luck? He's actually with my nieces and nephews for the afternoon. I'll have to set him on you another time"

Don waited patiently in the lounge of George's apartment whilst she brought back the large plastic Tupperware box which she stored most of her First Aid kit and any other normal medication she needed. She sat it down in front of Don on her coffee table and sat on the same table.

She examined his handsome face critically and decided to tend to the cut on his cheek first.

"Okay. This _will _sting, but it works beautifully" she said and applied some cleansing alcohol to a small piece of gauze

Don shook his head dismissively "It'll be fine"

George smirked "If you say so"

She dabbed some gently onto his cheek and he winced suddenly in spite of his best efforts.

"You're such a baby" she teased as she finished cleaning the cut

He came close to a pout then smirked back "Just get it over with"

George looked at his arm and the slash across it where the suspect had struck at him with a knife. "That's pretty bad" she murmured, frowning at the amount of blood seeping through his shirt sleeve

"Maybe you should see a _real _doctor" she suggested but Don shook his head "Its just a little scratch. Get me some more of that stinging crap in a bottle, throw on a bandage and it'll be cool"

She smiled at his light heartedness and then her eyes widened as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

"What are you doing!" she exclaimed

He gave her a curious look "How else are you going to clean it?"

George flushed "Oh yeah. Course" she made herself busy rummaging in the Tupperware box whilst he removed his shirt, when she looked back he was shirtless and she instantly wanted to chicken out of touching him, afraid she would get too distracted, he had a strong, taut body that made her mind go _nuts._

"George?" said Don looking at her with a raised eyebrow

Shit. She was _staring!_

"Uhm...here. Why don't you put clean it, I'll get you some pain killers" she said and clumsily handed him the new gauze with the rubbing alcohol on it

_Anyone would think she had never seen a half-dressed man before. Never one quite so attractive though. _She thought and mentally tried to picture something distinctly less arousing and failed.

"You sure?" he said uncertainly and started trying to clean his cut

George inhaled and scolded herself. She was an adult, she could handle the situation.

"I'll do it" she said and reached for a new gauze, she carefully dabbed at his bruise, not looking at his _beautiful _body and making absolutely sure not touch him with any part of her skin. The whole while she could feel his gaze on her which was making it extremely difficult for her not to flush bright red.

Finally after speedily and neatly wrapping up his arm George leaned back. "Done!" she said and admired her handiwork

Don thanked her, got to his feet and began to tug his shirt back on "Can you do the buttons?" he asked as she started to treat her own bruises

George gulped "Sure" she stood up, it was there that she became very aware of their subtle differences in height, and the way he smelt so clean and natural...

_Stop getting sidetracked_ she chided herself and started to button his shirt only to find her fingers were not working as well as she'd thought and she fumbled a few times before she finally finished

"There" she said softly and looked up at him with an awkward smile

Without warning he cupped her head with one hand and lowered his head, pulling her into a deep, slow kiss.

"What are you..." she started and trailed off at the way he was looking at her, suddenly she felt as if _she _was the one that was half-naked. Although, some part of her wondered if it would be so bad if she _was._

"I really wanted to do that" he admitted quietly

George raised her arms and put them around his neck "Can you do it again?" she asked blushing softly

He smiled,he loved how endearing her blushes were "I can" he lowered his head again and captured her soft lips again gently

George's hand slid off from around his shoulders and she shifted subtly closer. It drove him crazy, that he hadn't done this a long time ago.

He put his hands on her waist and slowly guided her to the chair, still kissing and they somehow managed to sit down. Don pulled her onto his lap and her tongue tangled with his, she tasted amazing and he slid his hand under her shirt which was easily disposed of in a matter of seconds.

George moaned into his mouth as electric currents sped all over her body at each part he touched and she stroked his shoulders, wanting to get rid of his shirt again.

She leaned back with a giddy smile and he smiled back, he'd never wanted anyone so badly before. She continued to stroke his cheek.

"We can stop...if you want" he said softly and kissed her hand as it passed over his lips

George shook her head and kissed him again, holding his head in both hands and pressing her chest against his. She unbuttoned the front of his shirt, this time with much better ease than before and he exhaled into the hollow of her cheek as she lowered her head nipping at his neck.

Don nimbly undid her bra as she bit teasingly at his neck while he cupped her full breasts in his hands, he marvelled at how impossibly _good _she felt and caressed her. She arched her back suddenly and he took the chance to kiss her breasts.

He undid his trousers as she lay back on the couch and made sure he took off her own trousers before straddling her and closing his mouth around her nipples. George moaned softly and becomes very aware of each inch of her skin, set alight by his touch. She held his head in her hands twirling her fingers in his black short hair. He murmured her name and moved down to her hips, sliding off her underwear.

"Jesus" he said and swore softly as he studied her body. It was _real_, completely natural with soft curves and the kind of rosy glow he'd seen in her smile that had drawn him to her so much.

"Last chance to say no" he said and kissed the side of her mouth, brushing her curls away from her face

She looked at him from under lidded eyes and arched her back ever so slightly in response. Don smiled again as she slid a dangerous path down the center of his chest, Don groaned as she hissed his name in surprise, he shifted gently.

"I'm not going to say no" she whispered

He didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

Mac glanced sideways at Stella, they were stuck in traffic on their way back from the crime scene. Stella had muttered something about how if they'd left earlier they might have missed the traffic, but other than that she maintained a stony silence. He knew she was still angry with him and he honestly hated that, but he could think of no other way to avoid telling her how he felt. She had Frankie after all. 

Still, he couldn't resist at least getting her back on side again.

"Ask me anything. One thing you want to know"

Stella stared at him in surprise and he cleared his throat. "I mean...I _want _for us to get back to the way we were and I don't want you to think you can't talk to me"

Stella didn't have to be told twice. She looked at him and flatly asked "When was the last time you were attracted to someone? I mean, really. Enough to want to ask them out"

Mac furrowed his brow, of all the things he'd expected for her to ask this hadn't been it. "I work a lot...its been a while" he said redundantly

Stella sighed and looked out of the window as he drove, then she surprised him yet again by placing a hand on his shoulder "You know, I worry about you"

Mac realised that it had been a while since Claire's death that he'd been truly happy, but all of those times he'd been with Stella. How exactly was he supposed to tell her that when she clearly only saw him as a friend?

"You don't have to" he said with one of his famed half smiles

Stella nodded and moved her hand back to her lap "That so true...but you know what Mac, thats what friends do. We help each other out. I know you'd be there for me too in case I had like a...emergency hair appointment and needed a lift" she said with a laugh

His smiled widened a touch "Thanks" he said gently

Stella beamed and then gazed out of the window 'So, what do you think of this business with Ronnie and Danny?"

Mac raised his eyebrows "What business?"

Stella laughed "You can't not have noticed all the flirting, I mean walking into a room you can _see _the heat"

Mac chuckled "Well, I suppose there's a lot I've been missing" he turned into the next street "Still, inter-work relationships aren't...easy"

Stella had to agree "I know, but I think if its special enough...they could make it work" she met his eyes and quickly moved on "You know, up until a few weeks ago I could have sworn he had a thing for Lindsay"

Mac raised his eyebrows again "Our Danny's quite popular"

Again Stella agreed "_I'll _say"

Mac smiled to himself, he may not have been able to be with Stella the way he wanted but for now and maybe forever, he was just happy enough to be close to her.

* * *

Ronnie tried to get up from her bed and found she couldn't. A month later and their 'routine' had yet to change. Yet again Danny had 'stayed over'. Yet again her clothes had ended up in random disorganised piles around her bedroom. Yet again she had found herself in his arms without even realising it. Yet again he slept comfortably nestled on her chest, his breath tickling her and arousing her. Yet again he defied all the best laid plans she had about not falling for him or any other guy and keeping things strictly casual. 

She smirked.

He was so _goddamned sexy. _

He had awoken now, and had lit a crumpled cigarette from the pocket of his jeans. The cigarette dangled from his lips, a dirty smile crept over his face as she lit the cigarette for him. She eased it from his lips and took a drag from it.

"Good morning" he murmured kissing her cheek

She greeted him with a kiss on his forehead and smiled at the flash of light coming through the window. Danny had showed up late the previous night to watch the movie she'd brought from the local video store, it had been a great comedy that had them both in hysterics and she'd even enjoyed the fact that they were simply 'hanging out' and just talking, which was new for her.

"You busy later?" he asked as he took back his cigarette

Ronnie nodded "Yeah, there's a lot going on lately. I only got off work last night because I'd pulled a double and Mac owed me"

Danny sighed "So not because you wanted to see me too?"

She arched an eyebrow "Not really" and as Danny opened his mouth to speak she kissed him and he groaned in delight, laughing.

"Ronnie! Yo!"

The unmistakeable voice of her brother made Ronnie freeze in her tracks, she sat up suddenly and stubbed the cigarette out on the bedside table.

"Shit, shit, shit"

Danny raised an eyebrow "Regular delicate little flower aren't you?"

Ronnie punched his arm "Shut up! If D finds out you're here…"

"Your kidding right?" he watched her scramble out of bed in surprise "_Veronica, _you're twenty seven...why is it any of Flack's business what you get up to?"

Ronnie scoffed "That's the talk of a reasonable man and my big brother is _not _reasonable. Look. Just shut up and stay here" she grabbed a brush and started running it through her hair

Danny laughed quietly and sank back into the pillows in disbelief. "Are you really serious?"

Ronnie turned to answer him whilst simultaneously buttoning up her jeans she looked as if she was about to say something but then shook her head "Listen, I can't explain all right? Its complicated but...he's your best friend you know? Its _bound _to be weird. Just give me some time"

Danny sighed and smiled reluctantly "If you weren't so amazing I'd be out of here"

Ronnie grinned and slid out of her bedroom just as Don arrived at her door.

"Sis! Feels like I haven't seen you in ages" smiled Flack, he hugged his sister happily but then frowned at the smell of nicotine

"You've been smoking again haven't you? And uh, aren't you supposed to be at work?" He sighed and tossed his coat lazily behind him, it just missed the coat hook.

Ronnie inhaled quickly "Uh actually…this new guy I'm seeing…he smokes"

Flack narrowed his eyes warily "Anyone _I _know?"

Ronnie smiled brightly "Yeah. You've heard of Danny Messer right?"

"Please tell me your kidding" he groaned and leant back against the wall, his mind was still on leaving George back at her apartment, but he'd needed to get back home and change.

Ronnie let out a short laugh "Course I am! Geez!"

Don rolled his eyes and chuckled as he loosened his tie "Don't even joke about that" at her bemused look he continued and went over to the kitchen where she followed

"I'm just saying…he's a good guy, a good detective and CSI…but he's not the kind of guy to be into the whole relationship thing"

Ronnie snorted "Oh come on! You of all people giving me love advice? When was the last time you dated a girl whose name you didn't have to write down on your hand to remember?"

Flack gave her a dirty look but smirked all the same as he got himself a drink from the refrigerator "Did I say this was about _me?_ Veronica...I just don't want you getting messed around. You _know _how much what happened changed you and...I don't want to have to beat up my best friend for fooling around with my sister"

Ronnie scoffed "I can _handle _myself!" She jabbed him with her finger on the chest "Did anyone ever tell you you have a _massive _superhero complex?"

He rolled his eyes and went into his own bedroom carrying his drink with him. As he left Ronnie realised that he'd been grinning almost the entire time. She raised her eyebrow with knowing amusement.

* * *

Don stared in shock at the papers in front of him. 

He was getting a new partner.

As far as he had been concerned there had been nothing wrong with the one he'd had. He read the papers again and frowned, it had been _George _who had asked for the change.

That couldn't be right.

He scanned his watch and realised he had his proficiency test to go to. He'd have to deal with whatever was going on later.

George jumped into the elevator, her head spinning. She couldn't believe she'd actually gone through with it.

Not only had she just confessed her feelings to her boss in order to get the transfer but now she realised that unless she had time to explain, her soon to be former partner would no longer speak to her.

She stared up guiltily as Don thundered into the elevator, he shot her a brief look and then faced the elevator doors resolutely.

"Can we talk about this?" she said meekly

Don ignored her. He found her impossible, he thought they'd really had something only a few nights ago, and they'd been working better than before despite the fact that he couldn't stop sneaking kisses when they were alone and now she was suddenly turning away from him.

She snapped "See! This is_ exactly _it! We can't even discuss anything...like adults"

He gave her a dark look "Now I'm being immature? I don't know _what _is going on with you and I don't wan to! I've signed the transfer...its done"

He stormed out of the elevator once he'd reached his floor moments later. George clapped her hand to her forehead and swore under her breath. There _had_ to be an easier way of explaining.

Ronnie slid into the booth next to Danny, he raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were working?" he said and continued prodding his food with his fork

She nodded "I asked Adam to cover for me for half an hour. I just needed to talk to you"

He took a sip from his drink "I'm listening"

Ronnie sighed, she hated these kinds of situations which was another reason why she didn't like to get serious at all.

"D didn't really mean what he said...he thinks a lot of you. He's just trying to watch out for me and ends up coming off like an ass"

Danny put down his drink "I know _that._ I just want to know why he's _so _protective. From what I overheard...it sounds like there's something thats giving him cause to worry" he looked at her carefully "Is there?"

Ronnie looked away "Danny, we've _just _started this thing. Can we not...just take things slowly, see where they go?"

He reached for her hand and held it up, punctuating each few words with a kiss on her knuckles "Hey, you won't get rid of me that easily. I'm going to get you to start talking to me, I don't care how long it takes"

She stared at him and found a smile lifting at the corner of her mouth. It was getting a lot more difficult for her to stick to her old rules about playing her cards close to her chest, especially when finally she'd met someone that made her want to break them.

* * *

Don smiled across at Alanna. She looked as stunning as he'd remembered and he had been admittedly surprised when his sister had agreed to let him date her friend but all she'd said was that he 'owed her one' and then she'd arranged the whole thing. 

"So, detective? That must be exciting" purred Alanna as she coyly played with a strand of her hair

He smiled "It actually is. Not glamorous though, most of the time, people care more about our mistakes than anything else"

"Oh yeah?" she said and he found that she wasn't really listening, her main occupation seemed to be sliding her toe dangerously close to his crotch

He was attracted to her, that much was true and he found he could get aroused. Yet he couldn't stop picturing George.

"So, detective? Why don't you show me around to your place" she offered with her eyes burning into his

Don raised his eyebrows, the date had only been going an hour but apparently Alanna had had a crush on him for the longest time.

"I can do that" he said and was glad that Ronnie was working, sometimes having your sister at home could be a real mood killer.

They ended up stumbling back into his apartment, tearing off each other's clothes lustfully, Alanna dragged him towards the couch by his tie. He kissed her roughly as she dug her fingers into his shirt, ripping off his shirt without managing to break off any buttons.

She staggered off the couch and crouched in front of him, unzipping his trousers, he groaned as she expertly took him in her mouth.

Shit.

Why couldn't he stop thinking about George?

Alanna undressed quickly and he held her as she kissed him furiously, she was gorgeous that was true but she wasn't...

_Stop thinking about her!_

He pulled Alanna tightly towards him and kissed her needily.

Nothing. He just didn't feel it anymore.

"All right, what's wrong?" she sighed breathlessly and straddled him, eyeing him pointedly

Don raised himself slightly by holding his upper half up with his elbows digging into the couch "I can't do this. I'm sorry" he said honestly

Alanna flicked back her hair "I _knew _you had your mind else where"

He looked surprised "What?"

She smiled comfortingly "Girls know sweetie. You've got some other chick on your mind. I could tell the minute we started this 'date' tonight"

Don frowned "Why didn't you end it?"

Alanna laughed "You're kidding right! How many times does a gal get to go on a date with a gorgeous detective whose smart _and _funny? I told you I'd liked you for a while, I figured even if you didn't really want to be there I was still making my move"

He smiled "You're all right y'know?"

She laughed and stepped off him and started gathering her clothes "Look, this nights not over yet. Why don't you rent a movie and we can talk about where it all went wrong with this other chick"

Don grinned agreeably "Its the least I can do" he said in his charming accent

He got to his feet and pulled his boxers and trousers back on, zipping them up just as the door bell rang. He wondered if it might be Danny who had been acting odd around him all day but when he answered it was George and for once she was the _last _person he wanted to see.

"Hi" she said nervously "I know, I know you're mad at me and you don't want to talk to me but I need to explain something okay?"

He nodded anxiously "Yeah, of course. You want to go grab a coffee?"

"I'd prefer to do this in private" she replied

Don tried to hide the panic on his face and nodded "Yeah, sure...let me just deal with something"

He headed into the apartment and found he couldn't see any sight of Alanna, he rushed into the bathroom to check if she was taking a shower but no such luck.

He sped back into the lounge and felt the sinking feeling he'd had when George had first turned up return with much more force.

Alanna was in the living room, she'd just been in his bedroom and had come out just as George had entered the lounge.

"Babe, I'm sorry but she saw me and bolted...is that the girl you like?" asked Alanna sympathetically

Don barely heard her, he raced out of his lounge and out of the open door, he managed to catch up with George on the stairs.

"Wait! Will you hold on a minute?" he shouted

She spun around, wearing an expression in her eyes that made him start guiltily. "Nothing happened. _Really_" he lied

George glowered "You're half naked Don and she was still in her bra! I'm not an _idiot!_ Why can't you just be honest with me?"

He frowned "It didn't go _that _far...and I couldn't stop thinkin' about you besides!"

George scoffed furiously "Lucky me! I am so _happy _that I changed partners because I don't speak to you _ever _again"

She stormed off angrily and he watched her go.

He'd really messed up this time and it wasn't just with any girl, he _had _to screw things up with the one girl he could see himself falling love with.

* * *

**A/N: Is it too obvious that I've hit a blank with Stella and Mac, I _did _have an idea and then I watched the entire second season and...now I'm confused. Still, I'll figure something out. Thank you all for the reviews, I love reading them its like gossiping! And thanks Axellia, I'm so glad I amused you!**


	20. A Family Affair

**A/N: I've been making an _IDIOT_ out of myself. As Homer Simpson once said. I didn't realise that some of the 'X-Rated' scenes I'd written were half in present tense half in past. I really should have checked. Anyway, Ive fixed that now. I really need a BETA reader and some help with a plotline. I should warn you though, if you do want to help, it'll mean you know what will happen next really early and some people hate that.**

**Any offers?**

* * *

_Post Risk_

Ronnie glanced down the café and spotted her boss and sometimes good friend, enjoying a coffee, dressed in sweats. It was quite early and it was obvious he'd just come from a morning run whereas she had just come from a full two days processing bodily fluids. Still, she was never too tired to talk to Mac.

"Hey boss. What's happening?" she said cheerily as she approached him

Mac smiled at her "Good morning Veronica. I thought you were working?"

She yawned in spite of herself "I _was...just _finished now. How you doin'?" she asked in her typical downtown accent

He shrugged "I'm fine actually. Thank you for asking? What about you? I hear you've found romance in our fine lab with our very own Danny Messer"

Ronnie blushed a little and Mac smiled gently, he offered her the stool next to him at the counter and she sat down. "I know thats...'frowned upon' or whatever...but...this feels different. I really think we've got something" she said looking at her fingernails

Mac smiled "As long as it doesn't interfere with your work..."

"It won't" she said firmly

"Thats good to hear"

Now she turned to him. "So how about you? Any updates on you and your mystery woman?"

He sipped his coffee nonchalantly "Thats no longer a story". If it had been anyone else, he would have denied the whole thing or used his very effective vague tactics and phrases but he felt close to the young lab tech, she had a disarming way about her that made it easy to want to talk to her.

Ronnie sighed "_Mac_. What did you do?"

He raised an eyebrow "I didn't do anything"

She nodded quickly "Exactly. If this mystery woman that I'm not supposed to know about is the way I think she is, she's going to appreciate it more if you're upfront with her."

Mac took another drink from his coffee "You know a little too much sometimes"

She smiled cheekily "That's what I'm paid for" then she ordered herself a bagel to go from a waitress before turning back to Mac "You don't have to take my word for it but...there has to be a time in life when you start taking risks. Start _livin' _instead of waiting for life to 'happen', it won't without a little help from you."

Mac stared at her, she was startling perceptive. "Some risks aren't worth taking. Not if they end up costing you the one thing you wanted"

The waitress returned with Ronnie's bagel and the now redhead slid off her stool "You could say that, but are you tellin' me you're happy enough to just watch from the background? I mean, what's really holding you back? Is it worth missing out on something amazing?"

Mac smiled wryly "If I knew I'd be getting interrogated along with my coffee this morning I would have stayed home"

Ronnie grinned "You love me _really_" she gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek and left for home.

Mac sighed, the petite lab tech had been far too accurate for his liking. He wondered that if _she _had been able to work him out, perhaps Stella too had realised he had something other than work on his mind for once.

He knew what was holding him back; it was fear. Fear that he would end up making a fool of himself, fear of rejection, fear that he was deluding himself, fear that he could never be adequate enough for Stella.

He frowned and swilled his coffee around in his cup.

When did he start getting so _scared?_

He glanced at his watch, he had time to get home and change.

As he walked back he considered the risks he took. At work, they were calculated, when he had been in the Navy his risks then had been more..._risky _but they had still paid off for the most part. In love, he'd taken a risk and opened his heart to Claire and married her. Then he'd lost her.

He supposed with growing certainty that was behind his reluctance to do anything about his feelings for Stella. He figured that once he loved someone too much he was bound to loose them.

Now he'd waited so long to realise this that it was likely he'd lost Stella to Frankie anyway.

He frowned and wished he'd met Ronnie a long time ago. Then he might have worked things out a lot faster.

* * *

Don climbed out of his car, carrying an empty Starbucks carton that he planned to discard and glanced over across the street, spotting Danny. The CSI had been acting off with him the entire week and he wondered why. He called for him, but Danny pretended not to have heard. Don frowned and hurried across the street, also ignoring the curses of an angry cab driver. 

"Hey Messer!" he said once he'd caught up with Danny, he tossed his carton into a near by trashcan

Danny gave him a brief 'Hey' before hurriedly stepping into a post office carrying a small brown package, still confused about Danny's behaviour, Don followed him in.

"Hey. Didn't see ya" muttered Danny to Don as he queued up to post his package

Don furrowed his brow "You all right? You been acting weird"

"I get like that when I realise people have been talking shit about me behind my back" he replied dryly

Don raised his eyebrows "What?"

Danny frowned and realised that Don didn't know that Danny had overheard what the darker haired detective had said to his sister.

"Nothing" he grumbled

Don kept his eyebrows raised "You're doing it again"

"What?"

"Acting 'weird'. You got a problem?"

Danny shook his head firmly "Nope. I'm fine" he lied

Don seemed to accept this "All right, whatever. Listen, you got time for a drink?"

Danny was about to answer when both their phones buzzed at the same time. Don, hoping it was George, excused himself and went outside to answer it, while Danny remained inside.

It was Ronnie calling Danny to tell him that her sister's were coming to visit for the weekend, so any dates they might have planned were promptly postponed.

He sighed as she hung up and wished they could have more time together. Don returned to the post office a grim expression on his face.

"Bad news?" said Danny in concern, all past grievances forgotten

Don nodded with a sour expression "The worst"

Danny looked at him expectantly "Well? Out with it man"

Don sighed "My sisters are coming"

* * *

Lindsay smiled as Danny got onto the subway, it seemed he too was having car trouble. He hadn't seen her and would have almost walked straight past if she hadn't said anything.

"Danny" she called brightly

He craned his neck to see who had called him then manoeuvred his way towards her. "Hey Montana. Look at you on the subway. You keep this up, people'll start thinking you're a real New Yorker"

She flashed him a grin and he remembered how _good _she'd looked in her gown when she'd turned up to work in it because she hadn't had time to change. Not that he minded, it was nice to see her so dressed up.

"So, why are you on here?" she asked conversationally

"Car's playing up, Ro...my mechanic is busy" he explained quickly

She nodded in understanding "At least you can get one. Everyone has _such _an attitude problem"

He scoffed "Maybe you're not a real New Yorker just yet. What'd you expect?"

She smiled again. He smiled back. She really had a _nice _smile. He suddenly frowned, what was he thinking. He had a _girlfriend, _that in itself was significant since he couldn't remember the last time he'd called _anyone _his girlfriend had been years ago. Not only that but Ronnie was good looking enough for him. There was no need to raise up that old issue about his feelings for Lindsay.

Not that he was. He just noticed she had looked nice that was all.

Their subway paused to pick up its next bout of afternoon passengers and then continued on. A woman with a full face of quite obvious make up and a high end outfit walked past the two CSI's leaving, a trail of heavy perfume.

Danny and Lindsay both exchanged amused glances, they hopped off at the next stop which was near to work.

"What's with that? Why do women put so much effort into everything? With guys, you get some hair gel, aftershave _maybe_ some soap if you're Flack and boom! You're good to go" he said as they began to walk together

Lindsay arced an eyebrow "Why do you think we...some women do it? _For _men obviously. Some women do it as a way of becoming someone else, others do it as a way of...attracting others..not just partners but friendstoo and others do it because they are trying to hide what they see as flaws"

He went silent thoughtfully then said "You don't wear make up"

Lindsay snorted "Oh, thanks"

He smirked and shook his head "No...I mean, you've got a natural thing going. It suits you"

Lindsay didn't know what to say to this, although the increase of butterflies in her stomach definitely said she knew how she _felt. _

"Well. I don't feel I have to please everyone. Its...but guys set up difficult standards for women and I can understand why some would go to all the trouble" she explained

Danny thought of Ronnie and her love of dressing up, he was sure that was because she loved the attention but he hoped he hadn't put any unwitting pressure on her to look good 24/7.

"Guys get that too. Thats why you got this new 'meterosexual' man"

She laughed "Danny, some people would say that's progress. Men are now more in touch with their feminine sides"

Danny held up his hands defensively "There's nothing wrong with _progress _I'm just sayin' that guys...and girls are getting a little too superficial these days"

Lindsay scoffed again "Like _you _care about that"

"I do actually" he replied coolly

Lindsay frowned "Sorry...I thought"

He rolled his eyes "I _know_ what everyone thinks and y'know what its nobody's business who I spend my time with but mine and _that_ person"

They continued to walk in silence, and although she was embarrassed about her comment Lindsay found herself impressed by Danny's statement. He'd shown her a more interesting side which unfortunately didn't help how much she liked him. Sometimes she'd think, what was stopping her? If he really was a good guy then maybe it was time she took a risk and did something about how she felt.

* * *

George sat in her bed, after just hanging up the phone to her new partner.

Her partner was on Jamie Bradshaw, a woman, Scottish and she had dirty sense of humour. Although George had hoped for someone quieter she quite enjoyed working with the woman as the extra added work and Jamie's sense of humour had kept her mind occupied.

It was only now that she had time to herself that she found her thoughts wondering back to Don. _How could it have all gone so spectacularly wrong?_ She wondered bitterly. Everything she knew had told her to avoid any sort of relationship with him and not only had she _not _done that, she'd slept with him and completely embarrassed herself by confessing to her boss that she might be in love with him.

She wondered how she could have taken such a _stupid _risk on a 'hunch', only to have her heartbroken. He dog lay at the edge of the bed and she gave it a dry look.

"Don't _you _start judging me too" she muttered and pulled her covers up around her, she was going to go to sleep, with her tub of ice cream as Jamie had instructed as the best cure for 'lads acting like utter pricks' and then go to sleep and _not _think of Don.

_Yeah, right._

She slid out of bed and headed over to her closet and opened it up, rifling through her clothes, she wasn't going to feel any better sitting around feeling sorry for herself.

All she had to do was learn from her mistakes and move on.

Which was _exactly _what she would do.

* * *

Mac raised his eyebrows as he headed down to the evidence lab, he could hear some very loud laughter and shrieking coming from the direction of the A/V lab.

He smiled knowingly to himself.

_Ronnie._

He approached her lab and the noise got louder, he peered inside and was surprised not to see Ronnie but instead he saw Don, with two dark haired women who it seemed where the ones causing all the noise one who looked to be about in hermid thirties(although she didn't show it) and one who was looked about the same age only just younger.

"Detective Flack" he said pointedly

The man in question grinned sheepishly "Sorry Mac...these are my sisters...Isobel and Rosyln Flack"

"Call me Izzy" said the younger one, she had the same bright blue eyes as her brother's and sisters, with her hair left naturally wavy and her unusual woodland themed gold jewellery an indication of her quirky lower New York style.

The older sister had an asymmetrical short hair cut and wore a chic black dress that highlighted her girlish waist and showed off her legs. Without even hearing a word from her, Mac could tell she was definitely the leader of the group.

"You can call me _Ros. _Wow, D, I didn't know you had such a _young _boss" she smirked playfully

Don rolled his eyes and then cleared his throat "Anyway...I think we'll be leaving now. Ronnie's probably at home"

Stella appeared suddenly "Mac, whats going on? I heard some noise..." she trailed off as she saw the Izzy and Ros and made the connection to them and Don.

"Ah. So you must be Izzy...and you own the...boutique in Greenwich and Ros...you're the...PR exec and the mother of two twins" she said brightly and shook their hands

Ros grinned "I bet Ronnie's the one who told you about us. I _know_ it wasn't D because our dear brother here often tries to act like we don't exist"

Everyone chuckled whilst Don merely cringed. He shooed his sisters out of the lab whilst shooting an apology over his shoulder at Mac for all the noise.

Stella and Mac exchanged amused glances.

"If I thought _two _Flacks was bad..." started Mac

Stella laughed "Just be lucky they don't _all _work for you"

* * *

Izzy and Ros made themselves comfortable on the couch in Don and Ronnie's apartment, whilst Don headed over to Ronnie's room assuming she was in there.

She was.The youngest Flack swore at him profusely for waking him up but when he got a word in edgeways he told her that their sister's were in the lounge and she immediately perked up.

Giggling excitedly she skipped into the lounge and fell on her two sisters giving them hugs and affectionate kisses.

They too were just as excited, despite the fact that they all talked on the phone and emailed each other, they had such different jobs and keptschedules that were so contrasting that it was difficult to meet up as often as they wanted.

"Oh my god! I've missed you two so much" cooed Ronnie as she squeezed Ros tightly

Ros laughed and brushed her baby sister's bed hair affectionately "Can you show your love by making us a decent coffee instead of wrinkling my Fendi?"

Ronnie grinned "You know what, better idea; we all go out and have lunch, we can gossip, look stylish...y'know like sex and the city...except D has to come"

Don would have preferred not to be involved in his sister's famous lunches, not because he wasn't glad to see them. He was, despite all evidence to the contrary, but he really wasn't in the mood.

"D? Hello baby? What do you think?" smiled Ros

Don shrugged "Yeah. Great. I'll just get changed" he shuffled off to his room

Ros and Izzy exchanged worried glances

"What's with him?" asked Izzy looking at Ronnie

Ronnie rolled her eyebrows "I try not to get involved when he's having a little 'episode'"

Izzy smacked her arm playfully "_Veronica_, what's wrong with him?"

Ronnie scrunched up her mouth thoughtfully and then responded "I think he's having some kind of problem with this girl he likes. George..._that's _her name. I don't know what happened but one week he's happy...the next he's like this"

Izzy frowned "Poor baby. I wonder what she did to him"

Ros looked pensive for a moment then she suddenly smiled at her sisters "We'll get it out of him and _then _we'll sort out this George woman. Nobody messes with a Flack" she said assuredly

* * *

"That was _disgusting. _I can't believe you made me eat that!" shrieked Izzy with laughter as Ros dryly recounted the last time she'd tried to cook

"_Thank God_ I have my Colin, or else my babies would never eat " smirked Ros sipping her red wine

The Flack sisters and their brother were all sat around a table at an Italian restaurant, catching up on each other's lives as they ate.

"I thought you got married to prove you could be independent _and _still have a husband and kids" said Ron as she tucked into some of her meal and then chuckled "As opposed to getting married for love and shit"

Ros rolled her eyes and smiled good naturedly "Don't even start with me, I bet you don't lift a finger with Don"

She looked at her younger brother "Am I right?"

Don snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head "Sorry. I wasn't listening"

Izzy raised her eyebrows knowingly as she popped an olive into her mouth "We know. What's up with you?"

Don shrugged dismissively "I'm fine. Just a little tired"

Ronnie scoffed "Puh-lease. _I'm _tired, I just practically pulled a triple shift" she winced as she got a kick under the table from Izzy

"Mmmhm. Do want to talk about it?" asked Ros sympathetically

Don looked over at Ron pointedly "Do you not _ever _shut up?"

She looked hurt "I only said that George had...pissed you off"

Ros tapped her finger against her glass "Whatever this George has done. It'll help for you to talk it out"

"Can we just eat?" he said firmly and started to do so, adamantly ignoring their worried looks.

Izzy took some food off her plate "D, we're here for you"

He snapped "You really want to know what I did? I slept with someone else. _That _is why, I've lost someone that really meant something to me and _that _is why I've lost a partner at work _and _a friend. George didn't do anything. Now if you're all satisfied can you stay the fuck out of my business?" he threw his napkin down and glowered at them

His sisters exchanged looks that he couldn't read.

"Well you're an ass. I'll say that" said Ros breaking the silence, her words were harsh but her smile was a lot more comforting "Its going to take a lot to fix things with her"

He glared at her "Ros, leave _it_"

Ros ignored him "I'm your big sister, I'm not going to 'leave it'. I meddle, its what I do."

Ronnielaughed out loud"Ha! Don't _I_ know it" when Ros shot her a warning look she meekly returned to her meal

"Anyway, for now. Why don't we just enjoy the rest of this lunch. It'll be good for you. Then we'll go home and as your sisters, _your _family. We'll see if we can help you out"

Don let out a frustrated mutter but he knew better than to try and get in the way of his sister's meddling. He'd just let them talk and do whatever it is they thought would help even though he was certain that _nothing _would.

"So, what about you sweetie? Met anyone new?" Izzy asked Ronnie, whilst ignoring the obvious attempts of a man at the bar trying to get her attention

Ronnie laughed "You know me. Nothing serious"

Izzy eyed her suspiciously "_Really? _You seem a lot different"

Ros nodded in agreement "Yeah. She's being smiling a helluva lot"

"I'm a sunny person!" said Ronnie defensively "Can we for once, not talk about my love life!"

Izzy and Ros giggledchildishly"_Oooo_"

* * *

Stella greeted Mac with a welcoming kiss on the cheek.

"I'm glad you could make it!" she said happily

After a reasonably day at work, she'd invited him to come and have dinner with her so they could talk. Mac hadn't hesitated in saying yes, but now he was at her door he found himself feeling anxious. There had to be a reason behind her inviting him over and whatever it was he doubted it was for the reason he wanted.

He was right.

As Stella lead him into the lounge, whilst thanking him for the bottle of wine he'd brought, he saw a dark haired, bearded man sat on Stella's couch flipping through a coffee table book.

The man got to his feet and held out his hand "Hey. I'm Frankie. You must be Mac, Stella's told me a lot about you"

Mac cleared his throat and managed to smile "Then you must be Frankie. The reason why Stella's been so happy lately"

Stella blushed and mentally shoved the worry she'd had about the dinner being a bad idea into the back of thoughts.

Things would be _fine._

Frankie grinned pleasantly "Thats good to hear"

Stella walked over to him and Mac watched as Frankie put his arm around Stella's shoulder lovingly. She beamed at them both "I really wanted you to meet Mac, he's a good friend of mine"

Mac was glad for the compliment, but in the face of Stella and Frankie's obvious affection for each other, it meant little.

"Well, now the introductions are over. I've made something you're both going to love. Why don't we sit down and eat? " said Frankie brightly

Mac smiled faintly, he was slowly regretting the meal, but if he'd said no, it might have offended Stella. "Why not?"

* * *

Back at Don and Ronnie's apartment, Ros and Izzy were now handing Ronnie the rest of the family presents that she had yet to receive.

Whilst Izzy and Ronnie opened presents, Ros headed out onto the fire escape onto the roof of the apartment where Don was sitting, looking even moodier than he had at lunch.

"Jesus. Stop sulking" admonished the oldest Flack

Don gave her a warning look but didn't say anything when she sat down on the garden chair beside him.

"You really like this girl don't you" she said knowingly and put her arm around his shoulder

Don's eyes flashed in irritation "Ros. I really don't want to talk about it"

"It helps" she insisted

"Yeah, for _you _three. You three are _always _talkin'. I don't do that" he retorted

Ros brushed his hair soothingly "There, there. Shut up. Now I'm going to help you, whether you like it or not, you don't deserve it either since you _had _to do such a typical 'guy thing'. But I love you and I want you to be happy"

Don exhaled reluctantly and found he actually wanted to hear what she had to say "Nothings going to work all right? I'm not good with all those romantic gestures and...crap like that."

"Honey Its about talking to her, opening up to her as much as she opened up to you"

"How am I supposed to do that? I _don't _do that either"

Ros sighed and glanced at her watch "Okay. Tell me everything that happened. If we're going to fix things...we need to start from the top"

He raised his eyebrows "Hah! I'm not sharing any personal bull shit with you"

She chuckled "You want me to give you a wedgie? Come on talk"

Don smiled "Firstly, thats wrong. Second...if I tell you this, doesn't mean I'm lettin' you help me. I'm just sharin'"

Ros smirked knowingly "Sure you are"

* * *

Once the present opening had been done with, Izzy curled up on the couch next to her sister and gave her a pointed look.

"So, out with it. Whose this guy thats got you all happy?"

Ronnie laughed and didn't respond, she instead went to answer the door.

"Danny"

Danny peered around the door "Hey...I thought...you might be free" he spotted her sister "Obviously not"

Izzy waved at him from the couch "Come in! You're friends with my sister right?"

He exchanged glances with Ronnie and then smiled at Izzy "I actually came here to see Flack...err. Don. He in?"

Izzy rolled her eyes "He's having a heart to heart with my sister Ros. They'll be a little busy. You can chill with us while you wait"

Ronnie was still at the front door, she shook her head "I don't think Danny really wants to say"

"I didn't know Danny needed someone to talk for him" said Izzy slyly, Ronnie gave her a wary look. Her sister was up to something.

"I don't" said Danny brightly and walked past an annoyed Ronnie to sit on a chair opposite Izzy

"So...Danny, you're single right?"

Ronnie gasped "Isobel!"

"_Vernoica_!" returned Izzy with that same sly smile "I'm just trying to get Danny's perspective on D's problem. He might be able to help"

Ronnie sat down as far as she could from Danny which didn't go unnoticed by either him or her sister.

"I don't think he wants to get involved" sighed Ronnie

Danny gave her a wry look then smiled at Izzy "Actually. I'm not single. I have a girlfriend. She's a little irritating but I like her a lot"

Ronnie blushed faintly but she still persisted in trying to get Izzy to stop what she thought was flirting with Danny. "I don't think Danny wants to talk about his private life. So why don't we watch TV?"

Izzy's smirk increased "Ronnie, I don't know why you keep trying to speak for Danny. Its not like _you're _his girlfriend"

Danny burst out laughing "I think your secrets out"

Ronnie refused to acknowledge it "I don't know _what _you two are talking about"

Izzy grinned "Come _on_! Stop bullshitting Ronnie"

Danny smiled at Ronnie and she relented "I just don't want...D to know...just yet. Okay?"

Her sister shrugged "Fine with me, but you know Ros'll work it out in about five seconds"

Ronnie glanced at Danny "Yeah...but D's different"

The two sisters shared a look and Izzy nodded. "I get it. Okay Danny, why don't you tell me a little about yourself while Ronnie here makes her guests some dinner"

Ronnie made a face but agreed to do it, as she was by far the best cook between her and the rest of her siblings. Izzy excused herself to go to the bathroom and Ronnie used the chance to talk to Danny.

"I'm sorry for panicking, I'm acting like an ass clown" she said standing in front of his chair

He took her hand and gently pulled her onto his lap "I don't mind as long as you never say 'ass clown' again"

They both laughed and he continued talking, a more serious expression on his face "I know you need privacy, I get it, you'll talk in your own time"

Ronnie kissed him and stroked his cheek "You're too good to me"

He kissed her back with a smile on his face "I know. Just...don't keep me waiting too long before you talk"

Izzy returned to the lounge and smiled as she saw Ronnie and Danny together.

She laughed teasingly "Jesus! Get a _room _you two!"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, and I'm glad people liked the Flack and George parts despite the grammar issues. All will be revealed with Ronnie soon...What do you think of her and Don's sisters?**


	21. Hopeless Days

**A/N:** I've had a lot of personal things going on lately so I've been really busy with that but I'm back now and I'll have a bonus chapter after this one to make up for the time that I've missed. Thanks for the reviews; it's been really sweet to see them.

Enjoy._ Post Stuck On You_

* * *

Don stared out of the front window of his car, tapping his thumb nervously on the wheel. Beside him sat his sister ROs, she watched him for a few moments till he looked at her.

"It isn't going to work"

Then he looked back up at George's apartment, a feeling of dread welling up in his stomach. He'd never felt anything near to what he was feeling before, which was probably why he was so anxious.

"Sweetie, listen to me" sighed Ros whilst simultaneously applying a fruity shade of red lipstick

"Get your butt in there and be honest with her. Tell her everything you've been holding back, _everything._ I thought we discussed this"

Don glared faintly as the sun reflected in his eyes "_You_ discussed it. I don't even know how you talked me into it"

Ros shook her hair "I know what I'm talking about. If you're straight up and honest with her, she'll respect you all the more for it"

Don grumbled under his breath but exhaled and stepped out of the car, he returned a few minutes later.

"What happened?" asked Ros, surprised that her plan hadn't worked.

Don loosened his tie "Neighbour had Atticus-George's dog. Said she'd just left"

"Oh. Well then, I guess you get her at work then" said Ros brightly

Her younger brother groaned and wished that he hadn't let things get so desperate that he was going to his _sisters_ for help. He only wanted George back. He just didn't know how yet.

* * *

Carrying a blue paper bag, Sheldon walked into the lab whistling and was pleased to see Ronnie, who had an infectiously cheerful attitude whenever he saw her which was rare in the hectic life of the NYPD forensics department; this was demonstrated by her bright grin and Adam's surly glower.

"Hello doctor. What can we do for you today?" she said sweetly shifting a stack of papers in the 'IN' tray.

"We're busy and no you can't go to the front of the queue" sniped Adam

Sheldon smiled good naturedly "Hello to you too Adam and Ronnie you can stop calling me doctor"

She winked as she set up a microscope slide "But I like calling you doctor"

Even Adam smiled at this.

Sheldon chuckled "Anyway, I come bearing gifts from my little weekend in Austria"

Adam sighed "Rub it in why don't you"

Sheldon ignored him and reached into the paper bag he had and produced two small wooden figurines.

He handed one to Ronnie and grinned.

"This artist guy hand paints and makes dolls that look like people you know. Which I thought was an excellent idea, right? I mean it's better than just bringing back chocolate"

Ronnie quirked an eyebrow and stared at the blonde haired figure that was supposed to be in her likeness "Dude. If you say so"

Adam eyed his and smirked "It's so accurate. Little creepy, I gotta say" he then smiled at Sheldon "You're lucky I like that"

Sheldon looked at Ronnie expectantly and she beamed at him "They _are_ sweet doctor. Thanks"

Then she reached over and gave him a hug "For that, I might just let you jump the line next time you have something" she motioned to the 'IN' tray.

Sheldon suddenly produced a folder of samples he needed analysed and grinned impishly

"And I thought people of the law _couldn't _be bribed"

* * *

George sat at her new desk, sorting all her equipment and papers out into the neat way she preferred them. It was a good desk, not right in the middle and not too far at the back but unfortunately for her as she still worked in the Homicide department, it meant she was still able to see Don's desk from where she was.

He caught her eye and she frowned then looked away only to be startled by the concerned expression her new partner Jamie was giving her.

"What?"

"You all right? You look a bit…well hung over…not that I can talk" smiled Jamie sympathetically

George avoided her gaze "Um yeah. That's probably it"

Jamie didn't appear convinced "You eaten anything dodgy lately?"

"Dodgy?"

"British for anything 'irregular' or strange"

George smiled weakly "You'll have to teach me more of this English you speak. Listen, I'm fine. I've just been over doing things"

Jamie seemed to accept this explanation for the time being and settled into some paper work. George tried to do the same but couldn't focus, she only found herself feeling worse and worse. Jamie noticed her colleague's deteriorating mood and commented again.

"Seriously are you sure you're okay?"

George sighed "I might go and get some air" she got up quickly and rushed out of the building, only stopping once she was outside. She crashed down on the front steps and buried her head in her hands, glad that at so early in the morning there were few people around.

"George?"

Don stared down at her a look of worry on his face. "Are you feeling okay? I just saw you rush off and I…"

"What do you want?" she said irritably

He sighed and sat down next to her "I just wanted to talk. Do you think we could grab a coffee later? If you're free"

"Not for the next nine months" she muttered bitterly

Don raised his eyebrows in confusion "What?"

She stood up suddenly; startling him "I'm pregnant" she said flatly

He stared at her unable to speak, George sighed in disgust and headed in the direction of the parking lot.

* * *

Returning from a routine robbery, Stella and Mac had begun to set up the evidence they had gathered in the layout room, preparing to cover every inch and see what was worth using in court or what needed to be sampled.

Despite the amount of work Stella had to do she could not concentrate on anything but her dinner with Mac and Frankie. She'd hoped he'd bring his 'mystery woman' partly because she was genuinely interested and despite not being able to admit to even having _feelings_ for Mac; Stella was also jealous.

However, Mac had come alone and despite being charming and getting on well with Frankie the entire evening, she'd gotten the feeling that he wasn't truly being himself.

"Stella?"

She realised by his odd look that she must have been staring at him.

"Yeah?" she said somewhat sheepishly

"Shall we get to work?" he said pleasantly

Stella nodded "Yeah of course"

She decided that for now, it would be best if she stopped trying to understand Mac Taylor.

* * *

Danny peered around the lab door and grinned to see his favourite lab tech at her desk, making sure she was alone he walked in and kissed her on the cheek, surprising her.

Ronnie gave him a tired smile "Hey" she kissed him back

Danny smiled and pulled up a nearby stool "It's like valley of the dolls in here" he said gesturing to the figurine of Ronnie placed on top of her computer monitor

"Firstly…that is the worst referencing ever. The dolls are from Sheldon, he brought them for me and Adam when he went to Austria. He's a sweetheart that guy" she explained while typing something into the computer

"I guess" muttered Danny "He's not that great, the guyeats the weirdest things"

Ronnie merely chuckled "Well who doesn't? I just mean that I can totally see why he's so popular with the women around here"

Danny arched an eyebrow and folded his arms "If that whole 'doctor' thing appeals"

She glanced at him "Women _do. _Why…are you jealous?"

He frowned "No" and then in a quieter voice added "I'm just saying"

Ronnie laughed and swivelled around on her stool to look at him "I'm with _you_" then she kissed him briefly

Danny nodded "Yeah, I know…I just odn't like the idea of other guys...like…but _not _Sheldon…checking you out"

She fluttered her eyelashes "Well they are only human"

He laughed dryly "Hah, hah. This is why I want to tell people about us. I don't care who knows anymore"

Ronnie stopped smiling and turned to look at her computer again "Yeah well I do. I thought we were going slow?"

Danny rubbed his forehead in quiet frustration "I guess we are" he cheered up slightly at the thought of them going dancing together.

"So, we still on for tonight anyway"

Ronnie shook her head apologetically "No can do. Adam's got a migraine. Which means I'm doing his over time as well as mine" she reached for his hand and squeezed it "Sorry. Maybe this weekend"

Danny shrugged, now feeling childishly sulky at his broken date "If I can get off work. See ya" he left and as he headed out of the department he remembered Lindsay's invitation to go to Cozy's and decided that perhaps the evening was not wasted after all.

* * *

Much later that same night, Ronnie was still working at least this time Adam had re-joined her and together they were making more efficient work progress on their workload.

"Hey little V"

Ronnie's head jerked up at the voice of her sister Izzy "Hey" she said brightly

Izzy walked over, smiling at Adam as she passed his desk, he smiled back shyly.

"So I guess you weren't lying when you said you couldn't make dinner" she commented, looking at Ronnie's unkempt work station

Ronnie sighed "Yup, I've been chained here all night. So why are you here?"

Izzy leant against the desk "Thought I might see how you were doin', just as long as you don't start talking about locusts or loci or whatever. Besides, D was still pouting away all night so I left Ros to deal with him. _She _can handle kids"

The two sisters shared a sneaky grin.

"I guess you're busy though. I'll probably head back" said Izzy after staring in perplexity at Ronnie's computer

Ronnie smiled slyly "Actually, since you're not doing anything. This guy that works here, used to be a pathologist. A _doctor_, he's having this get together at his place tonight. Why don't you go check it out?"

Her sister was rightfully suspicious "And why do you want me to go to some stranger's house at…eleven at night?"

Ronnie decided to confess all "Alright look, he invited _me_ but I can't make it so I'm sending you in my place, besides…" she said under her breath "…You're '_available'_, he's available. Did I mention that doctor Sheldon Hawkes was _gorgeous?_"

Izzy gave her a dirty look "I am not 'available' I'm just…selective"

"Picky's more like it, come on, what do you have to lose?"

"My dignity"

Ronnie sighed "Look, he _is _genuine. Charming, funny, real good guy and I hate to repeat myself but he is _gorgeous. _Right, Adam?"

Adam rolled his eyes "Yeah, Hawkes is a real stud"

Ronnie looked at Izzy smugly "See, even he thinks so"

Izzy sighed, already relenting "I can't just…show up"

Ronnie suddenly looked sheepish "I uh…called ahead"

Izzy playfully ruffled Ronnie's hair "That was cocky. I could have just as easily said no"

"Not gonna though are you" smirked her sister

Izzy exhaled and checked her clothes "Alright. Alright, I'm going but I'm not promising a thing"

Ronnie was already scribbling down the address on a scrap of paper; she handed it to Izzy and winked "You won't regret it"

Izzy shook her head in disbelief at what she'd agreed to and then headed off to meet the so called _gorgeous_ Sheldon Hawkes.

Adam stared at Ronnie in amazement "You're _good_"

She grinned smugly "I know"

* * *

He had been stood outside her apartment for almost five minutes now, unsure whether or not to knock. It was only a suspicious look from a passing neighbour that kicked him into action. Don knocked on George's door and immediately her dog Atticus began to bark.

She answered a few moments later and it was clear that she wasn't pleased to see him.

"I think we should talk" he said pointedly "About what you…said earlier"

George gave him a dark look "I wonder what about"

He ignored her sarcasm "Can I come in?"

She shook her head bitterly "No. Okay? I don't want to talk to you. I can't even trust you"

"I'm just trying to do the right thing about this baby" he said, trying to keep his patience but angered by how unreasonable she was being

"Why? Who says it's even yours?" she retorted sharply

He glared at her "You know what, this is bullshit. When you can act like a fucking adult then call me"

He stalked off back to his car and she stared after him, her energy sapped. She shut the door with a slam just before her eyes welled up with tears. She hadn't meant to react the way she had but she was terrified, utterly terrified of what she was about to face and she had no idea where to go next.


	22. Sunday Night Live

**A/N: Here would be that be that bonus chapter I promised. Apologies for the grammar in the previous chapter! Thank you for the reviews, they really cheered me up! I will try my best Aphina.**

**Enjoy._ Post Stuck On You_**

* * *

"So why am I here?" asked Stella, taking a sip from her cocktail glass

Danny and Lindsay merely exchanged amused glances "You'll see" promised Danny

The three colleagues had gathered around a table at the front of the jazz bar Cozy's but for what purpose Stella had yet to be informed. All she'd gotten was a text from Lindsay _urging _her to come to the bar and that was as far as her knowledge went.

"Alright but it better _not _be karaoke night" she muttered to Lindsay's grin

Danny was about to respond when his phone rang, Lindsay noted the faint smile on his face as he checked who was calling and arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Who is it?"

Danny stood up "Flack. You know how he loves to check up on me" he then headed outside in order to take the call in private

Lindsay watched him go and was surprised to see Stella studying her with a curious expression.

"So, you two looked like you were having fun when I joined you" she commented slyly

Lindsay blushed and lowered her gaze "We were just talking"

Stella smirked "I'll bet. Is there…anything I should know about you two?"

At this the petite brunette shook her head firmly "No, not at all. We're friends, colleagues."

Stella didn't seem convinced but Danny had returned to the table so she was unable to probe Lindsay for further gossip. Danny gestured to the stage that was a few feet away from them as a group of musicians set up their instruments, one of them being Mac.

Stella gaped at Mac then at Danny and Lindsay then back at Mac again.

"You guys _knew_ about this?" she exclaimed, still staring

Lindsay and Danny shared another amused smirk as the musicians started playing. Stella watched, riveted through the entire performance. When it was done she was so surprised she almost forgot to applaud.

"He's good right?" chuckled Danny

Stella nodded then suddenly headed towards the stage to talk to Mac.

"She looked _really _shocked. I thought Stella and Mac were close" mused Lindsay, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear

Danny grabbed his coat as he got to his feet "Yeah well, I guess you never really know some people"

"You're leaving?" she said, unable to keep the disappointment from her tone

Danny grinned and shrugged "I've got a curfew" he remembered the phone call he'd gotten from Ronnie an hour before and smiled to himself, much to the bemusement of Lindsay.

"Well. Okay. I had fun tonight" she said with a smile

Danny nodded distractedly "Yeah, it was great. We should do this again some time Montana" he scanned his watch and then jerked his head to the stage "Say bye to Stella for me"

Lindsay bid him good night and as he left she found herself considering Danny's comment to get together again. She wondered if they were perhaps closer to having a real date now, his on-off flirting confused her and she wanted a chance to for once find out what was going on with him; to find out whether or not there would ever be a relationship between the two of them.

* * *

Mac peered up at Stella with a wry grin as he locked his saxophone away in its case.

"So? Who told?" he asked "Ronnie was it?"

She chuckled "No actually, it was Danny and Lindsay"

He smiled faintly "I guess my secrets out"

"Well it shouldn't _be _a secret. Mac, you were incredible. I had no idea" she gushed and was then instantly regretful of her over eager tone

"It's just something I like to do" he said with a modest shrug

"No really, you were amazing. Why didn't you tell me?" she asked beaming

Mac stared at her briefly "I don't know"

Stella wondered at the meaning behind his gaze but decided to leave the matter "Anyway, you wanna grab a coffee? Tell me all about this…secret of yours?" she offered

He shook his head "I'm going to get some sleep. I could use some, thanks for the offer though"

With that he then picked up his case and headed out of Cozy's, Stella watched him leave, feeling as if she'd just been given the brush-off.

* * *

_Post Fare Game_

George wandered out of her doctor's office in a daze, her head was spinning and it was only when she somehow in her daze spotted her aunt Judith waiting patiently outside her car that she was thrust back into reality.

"Well?" asked the older blonde woman

George sighed heavily "So I'm pregnant" then she burst into tears

Judith put her arm around her niece and squeezed her comfortingly "Come on sweetie. It's not all bad"

George groaned "To _you_ maybe but to my father all he'll see is that I'm a pregnant unmarried Jewish woman and…the baby's father is an asshole"

Judith smiled sympathetically "You do realise that you have it a lot easier than I did right? I was young when I was knocke…uh…'with child', it wasn't like you. You have a good job, you're smart and you've got the rest of the family behind you for sure. Who cares what you father thinks?"

George looked at her aunt sadly "That's the stupid thing. I _still_ do. God…I'm just scared"

Judith nodded "Of course you are but that is no reason to think that this is a big mistake. Think of it as a blessing" she rubbed George's shoulder affectionately

"I'm not so sure it is a blessing" said George quietly

Judith stared at her "Are you saying that you don't want the baby?"

George didn't answer; she had no idea _what_ she wanted.

"Group hug!" exclaimed Ronnie and drew her sisters and brother into a tight embrace. Her older siblings laughed and affectionately squeezed her back.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you two" sighed Izzy once she had been released from Ronnie's bear like grip

Don nodded in agreement "Yeah, it's been really good having you guys stay. You don't live so far off you should visit more often"

Ros smiled "You're such a good liar"

They shared a good natured grin while Izzy pulled Ronnie aside "Hey and thinks lil' V for the set up with that doctor friend of yours"

Ronnie winked conspiratorially "Any time"

Don gathered up the Ros' _two_ weekend bags and carried them out of his apartment while Ros said one final goodbye to Ronnie.

"You look after him okay? I know he's the older one but…he's going through a tough time" said Ros

Ronnie hugged Ros and promised that she would then followed her two older sisters' outside to a waiting cab.

Once Izzy and Ros had waved off in their cab, Ronnie turned to Don and looked at him seriously.

"So? What's happened now?"

He looked at her suspiciously "What are you talkin' about?"

She folded her arms and headed back into the apartment with him "I know you were trying to act cheerful for Ros and Izzy but I _know_ something's up. I woke up to get a glass of water last night and saw you muttering in your sleep on the couch"

Don sighed irritably and went to the kitchen "I was _not_"

At her look he sighed again "Okay and so what if I was? It was probably because Izzy and Ros had taken over my room"

Ronnie shook her head "That ain't it either. Tell me what's up"

He started setting up the coffee pot and exhaled "George is pregnant"

She gaped at him "Holy shit!"

"_Veronica!_" he snapped

She apologised quickly "Seriously?"

"Would I make that up?" he muttered and changed his mind about the coffee settling instead for a glass of water

Ronnie leant against a kitchen counter and let the news sink in then she studied her brother's weary expression "Well I'm guessing by your none too overjoyed face that things are still messy with you two"

He nodded and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking back at Ronnie she unfolded her arms

"Why didn't you say something earlier?"

He shrugged "I was just letting it all sink in and I didn't want to ruin Isobel and Roslyn's last day. I'm _still _trying to get my head around this"

She moved over to him and hugged him sympathetically "Do you know what's going to happen then? With you and George and the…" she hesitated and he raised his eyebrows, looking down at her

"The baby? I don't know. She won't even talk to me"

His sister paused thoughtfully, one arm still around her older brother "Listen, I might be wrong here but this _is_ your baby. You have a right to know what's going to happen and she has to realise that"

Don's brow furrowed at this statement, there was some truth to it. Whatever was going on he needed to be involved, he _wanted_ to be involved and George would have to accept that he was.

"You know what. You're right. I'm going to call her"

Ronnie patted his back appreciatively "That's the spirit. I'm here for you okay? Whatever happens"

Don kissed the top of her head affectionately "Thanks. You're a good kid"

She made a face and shoved him away playfully "Eugh gross D. You've got _cooties_"

He chuckled as she disappeared into her room and became aware of how happy he was that his sister was around, she was the closet to him in age of the rest of his siblings and he appreciated her sense of humour and her support especially with the situation he was in.

* * *

Ever since she'd left college they'd grown closer together and he knew that despite their arguments and sniping Ronnie was conscious of the fact that he was on her side whenever she needed him too.

Danny peered up at the hazy Sunday sunshine and realised that it was some testament to his feelings for Ronnie that he was willing to get up so early on a _Sunday_, on his day off to come pick her up at her dance class.

He wandered into the dance studio and was greeted by a chorus of 'Hi, Danny!' from the other five dancers. Ronnie skipped over to him, wearing one of his tee shirts which he had long suspected she'd had in her possession over a pair of shorts.

_God she has great legs _he thought with a smirk

She kissed him, ignoring the cat calls from her friends, knowing that they were only being so flirtatious for Danny's benefit. He put his arm around her waist and carried her gym bag waiting patiently as she said 'bye' to the dancers then finally they headed outside.

"Well, aren't you Mr. Good Boyfriend today?" she teased

Danny smirked "_Just _good?"

She smiled and he kissed her again "So, what is with all the rehearsals?"

Ronnie winked mysteriously "Let's just say it's going to be an extra special Christmas this year for New York"

He looked thoughtful then grinned "Are you going to be in the Christmas day parade?"

She frowned, put out at the fact that he'd discovered her and her fellow dancer's 'secret' plans. "Damn you and your detective ways"

Danny laughed and kissed her again, putting his arms around her waist and swinging the surprised redhead around as they neared his car.

"_Whoa!_" she exclaimed laughing once he'd put her down, Danny pulled her into a hug smirking. She gave him a wry smirk back "I thought you 'didn't cuddle' what's with the PDA?"

He raised his eyebrows at her "Well, I'm into new things now" he pre-emptively put a gentle hand over her mouth before she could make a flippant comment

"I wanted to talk to you about something. Before you skip off like you usually do"

"Hey!" she said indignantly "I don't skip, I _strut_"

"That you do. Anyway, I was looking at a couple of websites…and before you start, not _that _kind and I found this travel agency doing a great deal for couples next weekend in Hawaii"

Ronnie arched her eyebrows in surprise, but the look on her face was not the gleeful one he was expecting still he thought she was simply taken aback and continued on.

"I think it's going to be amazing, not _just_ because I want to see you in an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini"

He was impressed with himself for being so willing in the relationship thus far, he hadn't been in what he felt was a _real_ relationship for the longest time but then there hadn't been anyone worth getting so serious about until Ronnie.

"I've gotta think about it" she said finally

He frowned and looked at her carefully "You don't want to go"

She bit her lip and avoided his gaze, noticing that his hold on her had loosened slightly she shifted back and stood apart from him. "I don't know Danny; you just spring this on me. It's a big step"

He looked at her incredulously "It's just a little weekend in Hawaii"

They went momentarily silent as an elderly couple passed them and then continued their heated debate.

Ronnie crossed her arms "And what's it going to look like; us going away together?"

"I don't _care_ what people think" he said letting out a frustrated sigh. It figured that when _he_ was ready to get serious, the person he wanted to be serious with was backing away from the commitment.

"Veronica it's _one_ weekend, I'm not asking for much. We barely see each other what with work and everything and I wanted us to get some time alone."

She looked away "You know how I feel about _this_"

He frowned, now getting irritated "No I _don't_ know Veronica. In fact, why don't you tell me about _anything_?"

She looked at him crossly "It's not like you share and share alike"

Seeing that they were headed for a fight, he changed tact and reached for her, putting the hand not holding her gym bag on her shoulder.

"Even _more_ reason for us to get away y'know? We can talk; get to really know each other"

She pouted in a way that he constantly found irresistible no matter what his mood and reluctantly agreed "Okay. Okay. I see your point. Let's go away then, but I am _not _wearing an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini all weekend"

"Damn" he said and opened his car door for her, Ronnie slid into the passenger's seat and waited as he got into the driver's seat.

"You'll love it, I promise" he said, happy that she'd agreed.

Ronnie merely arched her eyebrows "Yeah, we'll see"

* * *

Don answered the front door expecting to find his sister, having returned from her dance class but found George instead. She looked tired and he guessed that she'd had as little sleep as he'd had.

"Well, I got your message" she said quietly, she was referring to the message he'd left on her answer phone for her to call him.

"You wanna come in?"

George nodded and followed him into the lounge where she sat on the edge of the couch, anxious and unable to relax.

Don glanced at her "Do you want something to drink?"

She shook her head and noting his casual tee shirt and jeans she realised how comfortable and welcoming he looked and was momentarily distracted but focused when he sat down on an arm chair opposite.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting" she began

He shook his head dismissively "You just had a lot to handle he said understandingly

Surprised by his sympathy she blushed faintly and moved on "That message you left. You were right, you deserve to be a part of all this" she sighed and prepared herself for what she was about to say next "I checked with my doctor. I _am_ pregnant"

Don exhaled and ran his hand over his mouth in surprise; the weight of her news finally hit him.

"I've decided to keep the baby" she said after a while "and you can play as big or as little a part in its life as you want"

He responded finally "I'm going to be there for you _and _the baby. Whatever you need"

She smiled gratefully "Thank you. I uhm, haven't decided to tell anyone at work yet. I just want to wait till the thirteenth week to be sure that I'm having a baby"

He smiled back "Of course"

George stood up to leave "Listen, I have an appointment so I've got to go"

He frowned and also rose from his seat "You're leaving? What about us?"

She stared at him "What do you mean?"

"Aren't we going to discuss…well, us?"

George shook her head sadly "I don't think so. We can talk more about the…baby later but Don, I don't want…I don't want a relationship"

His face fell and he stuffed his hands into his pockets sullenly, she saw his change in mood and sighed, she left without saying goodbye and he didn't stop her.

* * *

Ronnie giggled impishly as Danny struggled to find the right key for his front door as well as dealing with the added distraction of her wandering hands, finally he found the right one and still kissing they stumbled into his apartment with Danny just remembering to kick the door shut with his foot.

"So what did your sisters think of me?" he said, scooping her up into his arms and collapsing in a laughing heap on his couch

"Ros, didn't really get to talk to you but she thought you were decent. That's a big deal from her" replied Ronnie and draped her arms around his neck, as she curled up on his lap

"What about Izzy?" he asked, nipping at her ear lobe

She chuckled faintly "She thought you were hot which is true…" she kissed him "and funny…not so true"

Danny ignored her teasing comment and beamed proudly "Boom! Danny Messer, loved by all" he was pleased that he'd made a good enough impression on her sisters and he wondered if one day he might introduce her to his own family. The ones still around at least.

Ronnie rolled her eyes "Don't go getting a big head"

He pulled her legs around his waist and kissed her collarbone "What? Don't you think I'm funny?"

"I do. I'm just messing with ya _Messer_"

"_So_ funny, no one's ever made _that _connection before" he smirked sarcastically

She giggled again and planted a lingering kiss on his lips "Okay, I'm going to take a shower" she murmured into his mouth

Danny smiled "Need some help?"

She wriggled off his lap "I think I can manage"

He got up and snaked his hands around her waist "Are you sure? I can be pretty helpful"

Ronnie smirked as he kissed her and then relented, smiling salaciously "I might find some use for you after all"

* * *

Stella slowly snuck down the aisle of the super market, preparing to surprise an unsuspecting Mac as he shopped.

"Hi Stella"

She pouted as he turned around, smirking faintly.

"How did you know it was me?"

He raised an eyebrow enigmatically "You learn a lot of things in the Marines Stella"

She smiled and noticed his empty shopping basket "Late night Sunday shopping?"

Mac nodded "It was the only time I could fit this in"

She gestured to her own full basket "I see they didn't teach you _everything _in the Marines. You look like you could use some help"

He chuckled "How can you tell?"

She shrugged wryly "I have a keen grasp of the obvious. Look, why don't I help you out?"

He smiled gratefully "That would be good"

They ended up having more fun than either had expected merely shopping for groceries, and although Mac knew that Stella was strictly off bounds now he still appreciated the little time they spent together. In another life time, perhaps he'd have had more of a chance with her.

* * *

**A/N: The 'keen grasp' line is straight from CSI: Miami, from on the early episodes when Ryan Wolfe had just joined and wasn't a tool…anyway. Hope you liked this chapter, I've got to say, although _I _personally think the dialogue is quite good the writing itself isn't my best but…this was always supposed to be more of a fun look at relationships and couples. Still, I will try and improve.**

**Thanks for the support. More later.**


	23. Missing Words

**A/N: **Yes, I am going to go down the All Access route. Not quite sure how I will exactly but it'll happen…Oh and your reviews are really sweet, I like being the type of fanfic writer that people accidentally stumble on and are pleasantly surprised.

_Post Fare Game cont…_

* * *

Ronnie opened her eyes blearily suddenly finding herself feeling colder, she raised her head off the bed pillow long enough to see Danny getting up to go answer the doorbell that had just interrupted her dreams. For extra warmth she slipped on the shirt that he'd discarded earlier in the day, and was about to climb back deep into the covers when she heard a muffled woman's voice.

Lindsay was certain she was blushing; it was bad enough that Danny was as attractive as he was but he _had_ to answer the door shirtless, looking dreamily seductive.

"Hi, sorry, was I interrupting anything?" she mumbled looking at her feet

Danny smirked at her "No you weren't Montana, what's up?"

She remembered why she'd shown up at his apartment late on a Sunday and her expression fell "It's my dad. He's just gone in for some check ups and…I know he's alright but he's so far away and I'm worried about him" she said in one breath "I just need someone to talk to"

Danny nodded sympathetically "Sure of course". As much as he wanted to return to Ronnie's affectionate embrace and sleep till Monday he decided that Lindsay's problem was more urgent.

"Uhm…well my place is a mess. Lemme get dressed and why don't you meet me at Bernie's in ten minutes alright?" he suggested casually

Lindsay smiled thankfully "Thank you" she said and he smiled back warmly

"Anytime"

Danny quietly slunk back into his bedroom, hoping that he could leave and return without Ronnie noticing, unfortunately the redhead was wide awake, she was sat up in his bed, looking very appealing draped in his shirt.

"Who was at the door?" she asked

He shrugged "Just a friend. I'm needed" he explained and wondered why he didn't mention Lindsay's name.

"Oh, so you're ditching me for Lindsay again?" said Ronnie, although she didn't seem as amused as her tone suggested

Danny sat on the edge of the bed and started pulling on his socks and shoes "It's not like that. She really needs a friend right now"

Ronnie crawled over to Danny and put her arms around his shoulder's kissing the nape of his neck "But I _need_ you" she purred

He groaned, struggling to not simply change his mind and stay with Ronnie but he couldn't do that to Lindsay.

"_Ronnie_…" he sighed and she pushed him away

"You realise she has a crush on you right?" she snapped, sitting away from him

Danny looked at her with his eyebrows raised and reached for her, gently stroking her ankle "We're _just_ friends" he insisted

His girlfriend rolled her pretty blue eyes "I've heard _that_ before" she pulled her leg away from him and sat further up the bed.

He got to his feet with a sigh and went to get his glasses from his dresser "Come on, you can't _seriously_ be jealous"

"Even people at work are noticing how close you two are" she persisted, now working herself into a snit and she couldn't even explain why it was she felt so jealous, she was never supposed to let herself care so much.

Wiping his glasses with a piece of cloth he looked at her insistently "Well they're _wrong_. I'm with you. We're just close, y'know like I am with Stella or Aiden"

She scoffed "Aiden and Stella are your _friends_, I know that. Lindsay…there's something more there"

He put on a clean tee shirt; his eyes narrowing indignantly "You think I'm going to cheat on you? Don't you trust me?"

"I do. I don't trust _her_ with you"

Danny stared at her angrily "I trust you with all of _your_ male friends. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"You don't get it!" she shot back

"Because you're not making sense" he retorted

"So am I wrong?"

Danny gazed at her and found his annoyance lowering at the genuine look of unrest in her eyes; he stood before her and scooped her up in his arms "I'm with _you_. Not Lindsay or anyone else. Got that?" he said gently

He kissed her and she decided to let the argument go for the time being, she needed to learn to trust him, he deserved it after all.

Danny headed out of the apartment, feeling guiltier than ever, he hadn't been able to answer Ronnie's question properly because he wasn't so sure she _was_ wrong about there being more to his relationship with Lindsay than met the eye. He knew that if he didn't resolve his feelings and soon it would only drive a further wedge between him and Ronnie.

* * *

George watched her dog scamper through the trees, barking loudly and generally terrorising the squirrels, she wasn't usually likely to be found taking a walk in a park of any sort as it would either bring up her allergies or she would have to deal with her excitable dog but she hadn't been able to think of anyway to clear her thoughts about her pregnancy or her feelings for Don.

"Hey! George!" called a bright voice from up ahead

The detective glanced up to see Don's sister, Veronica; jog down to her looking rosy cheeked

"Hi Ronnie, you getting some exercise before work?" asked George pleasantly but she wasn't really in the mood for conversation

"Yeah, I dragged D into it too, he's the pathetic one with sweat for clothes" she smirked gesturing to her harassed looking brother

He joined them moments later and glared at Ronnie "I thought you said no breaks"

Ronnie rolled her eyes at him "Weakling" she said derisively "You get a five minute break, meet me at the end of the park" she then jogged off while he gave her retreating back a filthy look

George smiled at his expression "She's only trying to keep you healthy"

He didn't look convinced "Is that what that is? I could swear she was trying to kill me"

They shared a smile and he realised how much he missed being able to talk to her without feeling vaguely awkward.

"So how are you doing?" he asked kindly

George looked at Atticus instead, unable to meet Don's eye "I'm fine. Just…tired"

He nodded "I bet. You told your parents yet?"

She shook her head "No, I'm going to wait. I'm superstitious"

Again he nodded in understanding "What about work?"

She smiled faintly "Yeah, what about it. I'm going to wait for that too"

He wanted to tell her that he didn't think she should be working but he realised how that would have sounded, and he understood how dedicated she was to her job, it was one of the things he admired about her.

"Well, if you need anything. I'm a phone call away" he said finally

Their eyes met and a small silence fell between them before Atticus' barking brought George back to earth with a bump. "Thanks see you at work"

He watched her leave and sighed glumly before jogging off to find Ronnie.

* * *

Stella smiled up at the sunshine "I love slow work days" she said brightly commenting on the fact that for once she had time to grab lunch

Lindsay nodded in agreement, whilst eyeing the burrito that Stella had recommended with deep suspicion "This thing must have a billion calories"

Stella chuckled as they strolled through Central Park "It's not so bad, besides guys, especially New York guys; _love_ a girl who can eat"

Lindsay rolled her eyes "Yeah, because I'm eating this to help my love life" she said dryly

Stella smirked "Speaking of which, what's going on with you and Danny, there I was thinking he had a thing with someone else when I really should have been keeping my eye on _you_"

At this Lindsay scoffed "There is _nothing_ going on with me and Danny"

Stella was disbelieving "_Right_. So you wouldn't mind if he had something going with say Ronnie?"

Lindsay thought of Ronnie who was as far as she had seen pretty popular with just about everyone, just like Danny and both were certainly not short of admirers. Ronnie was certainly attractive but Lindsay hadn't thought that the energetic, fiercely sharp lab tech would be Danny's type.

"It's none of my business" she mumbled and in spite of herself was jealous of the idea that they were together

Stella smirked knowingly "Of course not"

* * *

"URGH!"

Adam arched his eyebrows and looked in the direction of Ronnie's work desk; she appeared to be having some sort of rant at her computer

"This is the most worthless piece of _shit!_" she snapped, slamming her palm on the top of the monitor

He peered at her "Okay…that was _psychotic_. What's your damage?"

She glowered at him "Why the fuck is it that no matter how much work I do, I can't even get a _tiny weekend away_ or the fact that_ this_ computer is _a worthless piece of shit!_"

"Miss. Flack!" said a stern voice from the doorway

Ronnie looked sheepishly at Mac "Oh, hi boss…didn't see you there"

He looked at her admonishingly "Would you like to take a walk?" he ordered rather than asked

Ronnie let out a sigh and followed him to his office

"Well?" he said expectantly

She found herself growing angry again "It's the fucking computer, I've been working on it for three damn hours and it breaks now then I can't even get one weekend away. It's just bullshit" she muttered

Mac sighed "Firstly, reign in your vocabulary"

She blushed and nodded then he continued "Secondly, if you just call a technician, your computer can be sorted and I'm willing to give you a weekend off you _have_ been working pretty hard"

He had thought this would calm her but she only seemed saddened somewhat. "Unless this really isn't the issue…?"

Ronnie sighed wearily "Nope. It isn't"

He waited patiently for her to continue, she sighed again "There is this guy I've been seeing for a while now…"

"Danny?" he said pointedly

She smirked "You're not just a pretty face are you? Well yeah, Danny, anyway he asked me to go away with him this weekend and I'm…" she trailed off uncertainly

"It's not what you want?"

"I'm not so sure it's what he wants" she muttered

Mac arched an eyebrow "If you recall, there was one time when you were telling _me _to take risks, why is it you can't take your own advice?"

She gave him a sheepish look "I knew my words would come back and bite me in the ass. Sorry, _bottom_"

He smiled "Listen Ronnie, you can choose to ignore me if you want but as you've said yourself, what's holding you back? Don't make my mistakes"

She gave him a considered look and was silent as she thought of what he'd said "Alright, I'll take a risk with Danny if _you_ will say just one nice thing to Stella"

"I'm nice to Stella all the time" he said slightly indignantly

She arched an eyebrow "Mac, no offence but you can be a little distant with her. Just pay her a compliment, let her know you're thinking of her. Trust me, it'll work"

He shook his head lightly, wondering from which side of her family it was that Ronnie got her convincing nature from. He'd never met anyone he'd found it so difficult to say no to before.

"Deal?"

He held out his hand and shook hers with a disbelieving smirk "Deal"


	24. One Step Forward

**A/N: **Yes, I am going to go down the All Access (when everyone kept asking that I had NO clue what you meant!) route. Not quite sure how I will exactly but it'll happen…Oh and your reviews are really sweet, I like being the type of fanfic writer that people accidentally stumble on and are pleasantly surprised at least I hope so anyway….Most of these follow epi's just because I can use refrences from that epi etc but for the most part they aren't directly related.

Anyway there'll probably be more tomorrow, thanks for the support and…. 

Enjoy.

* * *

Ronnie peered around the door to the locker room where Sheldon, Adam and Ronnie seemed to be having a debate about something.

"Well you know where you can put that!" said Ronnie as he walked in

Sheldon chuckled and it was clear by Adam and Ronnie's stance that the debate was going on in between the two lab techs rather than the CSI

"She told you" Sheldon smirked much to Adam's annoyance

"You're wrong, you're just wrong!" sighed Adam and stalked off with so much as a hello for Danny

"What was that about?" asked the blonde CSI glancing at Ronnie who appeared to be making an excellent job of ignoring him

"Lord of the Rings versus Star Wars. What else?" replied Sheldon looking slightly incredulous, picking up his gym bag he patted Danny on the back "Well, I'm out. Catch you later" then turned to Ronnie "Tell Isobel to meet me at the park _not _the hall alright?"

Ronnie nodded and waved him goodbye and continued packing her work bag with her work clothes

"So, which are you? A Star Wars geek or Lord Of The Rings?" asked Danny grinning, he slid his arm around her waist

"Uh, neither, I just said I preferred Star Wars to freak Adam out" she replied seeming slightly distant

"You okay?" he asked, picking up on her tone and planting a comforting kiss on her forehead

"This Hawaii deal…I know I've been acting a little off. I just…I've never been in a relationship so serious before, it's a lot for me and I've got to know I can trust you before I let myself get so invested in this" she said in one breath

He glanced at her and took a moment to consider her sudden outburst and smiled softly, turning her body to face him and wrapping both arms around her waist.

"I'm new to this 'serious' relationship stuff too, maybe I didn't realise a lot of things but I _never_ want you to think that I'm not being straight with you"

She gave a little nod of encouragement and he continued on in a more sheepish note "I'm just a little insensitive sometimes, what can I say, I'm a guy" he explained and she chuckled faintly

"You're always at me for making jokes…" she pointed out

He nodded and put on a solemn expression, holding his right hand to his chest as if saying the pledge of allegiance "I pledge to be a great boyfriend from now on and never to make my hot girlfriend mad even though she looks incredibly _sexy_ when she's frustrated and to take her out and listen to her _and_ take her on the best dirty weekend ever"

Ronnie burst into laughter and rolled her eyes at him "You're nuts"

He merely chuckled and kissed her, making a mental promise to himself too to focus on Ronnie and accept his strange feelings towards Lindsay as confusion because that was all he would let them be.

* * *

"That's nice colour on you, it suits you"

Stella's head shot up and she did a double take at Mac, there was no one else in the lay out room, he'd _definitely_ said what she thought he'd said "What did you say?"

"It was a compliment Stella, you really should learn how to take one" he said with an enigmatic smile

Stella stared at him as he returned to working on his evidence, a blush that nearly matched the rich rose colour of her blouse spread of her cheeks but she managed to compose herself easily and nodded back

"Thanks" she said finally

He looked back at her and smiled "That's alright" then as calm as usual returned to his work

Stella continued to observe him from the corner of her eye; it wasn't the fact that he'd complimented her but the fact that what he'd complimented her on had been her outfit and not her work or how well she'd handled a case it was something much more personal and she again felt that strange flutter in her stomach whenever her surprised her like that.

She sighed; she just couldn't figure Mac Taylor out.

Mac smiled to himself, pleasantly amused that Ronnie's suggestion had worked in his favour, he felt better for it _and _he he'd loved the expression on Stella's face it made him realise just how little she was aware of the fact that she was important to him. He decided he had to keep an eye on Veronica Flack, she was far wiser than many people knew.

"Hey, uh Mac? Any time you need help with grocery, you call me" said Stella casually

Mac looked at her and smirked "I think that would be a wise decision"

She grinned back.

* * *

Don sat up in bed with a jolt and let out an angry grumble of incoherent words, it seemed to him that the minute, no the very _second_ he stepped into bed he would get a call from work or Ronnie would finally saunter back home clattering around the apartment and his sleep would be disrupted. He made a grabbing motion for the phone on his bedside table without opening his eyes and pressed at against his ear.

"_Yeah_?" he growled

"It's me"

He tried to put a face to the voice but in his sleepy state couldn't make sense of it "Huh?"

"It's George, I'm so sorry to call like this…"

"No it's alright" he said more awake now and shuffled upwards "What's going on?"

"Someone's broken into my apartment"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later George was sat on the couch of Don's apartment recounting her story, with Atticus for once sat calmly at her feet.

"So that's it. Now CSI is there and I really didn't want to stick around while they went through my stuff" she said wearily and raked a hand through her messy curls

"They'll catch the guy, NYPD's the best" he said with a small smile

She half heartedly nodded and accepted the cup of tea he handed her, Don sat down beside her and tentatively put an arm around her shoulder but she didn't seem to mind.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, probably stay at a hotel or something" she muttered

He arched his eyebrows "Not when you're pregnant, look why do you need some fancy stuck up hotel when my couch is just as good?"

She smiled gently "You sure?"

"Yeah and if you really insist, _I'll_ sleep on the couch, I guess what with you having my baby and all it's only fair"

Her smile increased as he rubbed her shoulder affectionately "Let me just get it all cleaned up, you sit back, relax and watch Letterman"

She watched him head off into his bedroom with a smile still on her face, there was something about him that made it very easy to feel comfortable and relaxed and she missed their closeness but she still wasn't quite ready to trust him.

* * *

Ronnie skipped out of her bedroom, lugging her two raspberry coloured suitcases behind her, sporting a large red hibiscus flower in her wavy blonde hair and wearing a matching red mini dress. She walked into the living room and smiled indulgently at the sight of her brother asleep on the couch with George, the television was still in and she guessed rightly that they must have fallen asleep in front of it.

Putting her suitcases by the front door she crept over to her brother and gently prodded him awake, he raised his head upwards, disrupting George whose head was leant against his chest but not waking her. He let out a yawn and couldn't resist a smile at George's curly hair and then grinned at Ronnie brightly.

"So, the day of your big weekend eh?"

Ronnie hated the fact that she'd lied and told him she was going away with some girlfriends but she still wasn't quite ready to tell him the whole truth yet. She nodded in response and quickly changed subjects.

"Look how cute you two are though! Should I buy a hat for the wedding?" she teased

Don rolled his eyes "Get over yourself, we just…fell asleep. Nothing going on"

"Yeah, apart from her being your baby momma" she smirked

He lightly pushed her away with his free hand "Get out of here. Seriously and _don't_ do anything I wouldn't"

Ronnie cackled lightly "Excellent that leaves me with plenty of options" he couldn't help chuckling along faintly

She gave him a sisterly peck on the cheek and then skipped off with her two suitcases humming 'Holiday' by Madonna.

* * *

Hopping out of her cab, Ronnie arrived a few doors away from Danny's apartment wanting to surprise him so that they might leave together for their holiday, but as she was about to get her last piece of luggage from the boot of the cab, she spotted a familiar brunette heading up the stairs to Danny's place.

Frowning she paused and watched as he answered the front door, a weekend bag slung over one shoulder, she reached for her phone in her purse and dialled his number.

"Hey Danny, it's me. Ready to go?"

"Uh…hold on a sec" she watched him say something to Lindsay than turn away from her as he answered the phone speaking in a lower tone

"Instead of me coming to your place why don't we meet at the airport? I've just had something come up"

Ronnie's eyes flashed angrily "Oh yeah? What?" she said with barely restrained indignation

"Nothing much, look I promise, I'll be right behind you I've just got to take care of something important"

"You know what? Forget it, I don't think I can make it at all this weekend" she said flatly and then hung up; she turned back to her cab and stuffed her suitcase in the boot before getting back into the taxi herself.


	25. Take Me Out To The Ball Game

**A/N:** _Damnit, I didn't even realise I that I had pre-empted my own story…Now I have to find a way around that and delay other plotlines. __Anyway, here's a hasty reworking_

_I'd also like to add that I know NOTHING about the sport that features in this chapter and very little about New York that isn't a cliche, so bear with me aaaaaand...I know I said this chapter would come the day after the other but...well I lied. Sorry!_

_Thanks for your charming reviews. This one is a little fluffy, a little sad and a little funny. The usual._

_Enjoy._

* * *

George squinted over towards the kitchen wondering where the clattering sound was coming from. At first disorientated she rubbed her eyes, slowly remembering that she was in Don's apartment and had been asleep on his couch. It was then that she remembered what it was that had brought her there.

"Good morning" chirped Flack, emerging from the kitchen with two cups that were issuing vast amounts of steam

"Is it?" she murmured sleepily and then a faint blush swept over her features as she vaguely remembered falling asleep in his arms

"What?" he asked; setting the cups down on his coffee table on top of fresh copies of a pile of newspapers.

"Nothing" she mumbled and reached for a cup in order to not have to look at him. Without thinking she took a big gulp.

"Careful! They're…" he trailed off and tried not to grin as her face went bright red

"I bund my dongue" she groaned as she choked down the steaming hot drink

"How you made it to college, I'll never know" he smirked and got up to get her some water

When he returned George gratefully drank down the cool water and smiled at him thankfully "You've been really good to me. Thank you" she said

He shrugged, choosing to sit on an armchair opposite "It's the least I could do"

She met his searing blue eyes and looked away again "Why don't I make breakfast?"

Don looked uncertain "Relax, you've just had a great shock. I can do that"

George got up, taking her cup with her "No, really, I want to make myself useful and if you _really _want to help you can set the table for breakfast, I'm sure your sister would like someone _else_ to do the cooking for once"

He chuckled faintly and raised his hands up in submission "Alright, alright but Ronnie ain't here, she's gone away for the weekend with some girlfriends of hers. So, breakfast is just you and me"

She shrugged as if the fact that she was in such an intimate setting with a man who made her heart skip every time she saw him smile was the most casual thing in the world.

While George busied herself in the kitchen, rustling up the perfect breakfast for a lazy Friday morning when for once work wasn't a major priority, Don rummaged around tidying up the apartment and making use of the coffee table as a mini dining table.

"So have you thought about names yet?" he said suddenly

George's head jerked up from what she was doing "Huh?" she shook her head at her response and replied again "Excuse me?"

"Well…I was just thinking about this little tyke you're going to have. Names and stuff"

"I take it you've already thought of some" she said, unable to resist a smirk

He looked faintly flustered "No. Just thinking…I mean, there's a lot to think about"

It hit him there and then just what he and George were undertaking in deciding to have a baby together when they weren't even strictly in a relationship. There would be so much to consider such as how much time off work they could afford, the price of raising a baby in New York, their jobs and whether they needed to perhaps consider changing their schedules. Whether or not they would live together, the kind of lifestyle or beliefs they might each wish to impart on the child and then there was the fact that _no one _else apart from Veronica and George's aunt knew that George was even pregnant.

"It's just hit you hasn't it?" she said wisely and he realised she was standing in front of the coffee table watching him

He nodded and helped her set down the plate of bagels and scrambled eggs she'd made.

"We've certainly got a lot to discuss" he murmured, rubbing his jaw which had a faint shade of stubble over it

George smiled briefly "Well, we've got nine months to do that so…"

"Yeah, this smells good" he gestured to the eggs

She joined him on the couch "My speciality, scrambled, poached, fried or omelette I am the queen of egg-related meals"

"That's…some skill" he grinned

She nodded proudly "Oh! Wait, I forgot the cream cheese for the bagels!" She scurried back into the kitchen to find the said product.

He smiled and as he watched her he imagined some dark haired child running around their ankles while they made breakfast together in a cheesy, sugary sweet kitchen just like in old movies, he thought of early mornings; waking up to George and their child, and heading to the park. He thought of first days of school and homework and it brought such a new level of joy to his heart that he wondered why he hadn't realised just how much his life was about to be affected.

But as George sat back down beside him again, he remembered the reality of their situation, the fact that there'd be no waking up together, only apart and that nothing, nothing was ever as good as the fantasy.

* * *

_Post Supermen_

Mac rubbed his palms together and whistled at Ronnie "Hey! Stop fussing with your hair and get over here!"

The woman in question rolled her eyes and finished putting her hair into two braids before she deliberately strolled over to Mac who was stood near the dug out with the rest of the team which consisted of an anxious looking Lindsay and Adam alongside Sheldon, Mac, Danny and three intensely competitive male cops who were arguing strategies.

"Come on, we've got a game to play. Don't you want to help out your fellow team mates?" he said sounding more enthusiastic than she'd ever heard him before but somehow still managing to maintain an aura of Mac-like cool.

"Argh, it's just stupid overly competitive crap" she muttered referring to the current game

The game took place every year for charity and large number of members of both the New York Fire Department and the New York Police Department would gather in a park in Yonkers (or wherever would have them) and play a few highly competitive games. Currently the NYPD was on a winning streak, having won the past three games. Not that any of this mattered in the least to a disinterested Ronnie.

Mac glanced up at the seats which were already filling up with various family members, friends and anyone willing to pay fifty dollars for their ticket which of course all went to charity.

"Where's your team spirit!" exclaimed Sheldon, which Ronnie ignored easily

"Have a seat please Miss. Flack" sighed Mac pointing her over to the benches

Noticing that the only available seat was next to Danny she declined and Mac began what would have been his pep talk if not for constant interruptions.

"Jesus…let's just play the game alright?" he said finally

Ronnie raised her hand "So I have a question" she began without waiting for him to let her speak "While we're here sitting on our asses, whose arresting all the criminals? The Boy Scouts?"

Everyone snickered at this and even Mac couldn't resist a smile "I don't think you need to worry about that, the only people playing right now are people who have a free shift or day off" he pointed out

Adam who hated sports of any kind and was much more at home in a lab grunted and got up with the rest of the team as they headed out to their various positions.

Ronnie started off to join them and jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, on realising who it was she sighed and folded her arms.

"We have a game to play. Remember?" she pointed out coolly

"Yeah and we had plans. _Remember_? So what changed?" he insisted now too folding his arms

"Not the time or the place Messer"

He sighed "Christ, what are you doing here?"

She ignored him and ran up to her base before he could question her further.

* * *

Stella smiled up at Mac, pleased by his casual clothes he looked tired but happy about it and brighter than she'd seen him in a long time. She'd been sat in her office all day running through paper work as the department was slightly understaffed due to the game, so to see him brightened her mood considerably.

"So I guess the game went well" she said, assuming this was so because of his grin

"Nope, we lost; they got some new kids on their team and totally blew us out of the water. Didn't help that our team…had their mind on personal matters" he explained, still brightly

"So why so happy?" she chuckled

"It was fun, I had fun" he stated simply "Sometimes that's more important than winning"

"Oh god, are you wheeling out clichés now? Next you'll tell me it's the taking part that counts"

He chuckled "Yeah, maybe"

Stella smiled at him "It's good to see you smile"

They shared a glance that stretched out for a fraction too long, then Mac made his excuses and left.

* * *

Ronnie scanned her watch and noted with slight impatience that her brother had not yet shown up. Rather than have no choice but to face Danny during the coach back to the various precincts or listen to some of NYPD's finest whining like children about the loss of the game she had called her brother and asked him to give her a lift but that had been over an hour ago.

She headed out of the café she was in that over looked the car park and made her way out into the late afternoon balmy sun deciding that she'd just have to hop onto the subway, she stuffed a hand in the back pocket of her jean shorts and groaned.

So she'd forgotten her wallet.

"Yo! Flack!"

Ronnie shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand and stared out at the parking lot

"Christ" she muttered when she saw Danny swiftly come over, still dressed in his NYPD baseball gear.

"What, are _you _still doing here?" she said in her usual drawl

He arched an eyebrow "Thought you might need a lift and I think we need to talk"

She looked at him sullenly and started for his car he watched her for a few moments then followed after.

Once they were both in the car he tried to lighten the mood by referring to the game. "You got a good arm"

Ronnie glanced at him "Some of us weren't born playing the game though were we?"

He sensed she was teasing him and he smiled, starting up the car.

"I got to say, you looked real cute running around in your little shorts" he said flirtatiously

She rolled her eyes, smirking "So _that's_ why we lost the game, _you_ got distracted"

He chuckled "Can you blame me?"

Ronnie looked at him and remembered why she had been so angry in the first place.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she said, innocently enough

"You, me; what else?"

Ronnie made a face and wished she hadn't gotten in the car, but he was right. They needed to talk and there were a few things she wanted to get off her chest, namely his relationship with Lindsay.


	26. Two Steps Back

**A/N: Apologies for the contents of some of this chapter but c'mon, it was gonna happen anyway! Thanks for the reviews and don't worry that 'bad' review was actually funny, it was my first bad one for this fic and I liked it! Hi-larious.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Leaning against the headrest, Ronnie turned her head to look at Danny as he drove. 

"Well, why don't _you_ start? Age before beauty and all that"

"I'm _thirty two_" he said, getting momentarily distracted

"Yeah and I'm _twenty eight, _that's years older" she retorted playfully but she was tense, afraid to approach the conversation that they were trying to avoid.

Danny sighed and remembered what they were supposed to discuss "I've been trying to call you all week and talk to you but…nothing. So I figure, if you're not answering my calls and you blow me off like you did last weekend I must have done something big. So what is it?"

"I hate how you phrased that. Like I'm some neurotic bitch" she muttered and turned the car stereo on, filling the vehicle with the sounds of Guns and Roses' 'Paradise City'.

"Christ. That's not what I meant" he turned the stereo off and she pouted sullenly "I'm trying to fix things here. I thought we were going to make an effort"

She gave him a disbelieving look "Oh it's so easy for you to say that but you can't quite seem to actually _try_"

He looked affronted "Excuse me?"

Ronnie let out an exasperated sigh, knowing that he didn't yet know the reason for her anger. Well, he was about to find out.

"I came over to your place early last weekend. Guess who I see there?"

He groaned remembering Lindsay's brief visit to return a video he'd loaned to her and slowed the car down as they reached some traffic lights "Not this again"

"Yes 'this' again, I swear, you just want her because you can't have her" she snapped and wished she didn't sound so _bitchy_ but she couldn't help it

"Don't even talk like that. You're wrong you know that?" he hissed angrily

"Stop saying_ that_! I'm sick of you dismissing this"

Their voices were rapidly beginning to rise, along with their tempers.

Danny gripped the steering wheel in annoyance "I am _not_"

"Yes you _are_"

Realising they were going nowhere, he sighed and in a strained voice said; "Alright then. How do we fix things?"

Ronnie shrugged "We're just going in circles"

"I _know_, we need to end thi-"

"No, the street, we've just been down 5th, my place is left" she interjected

He quickly corrected the wrong turning and then returned to the conversation, sneaking a glance at her with her arms folded and her furrowed expression he wished he wasn't the cause of her upset but he knew that the longer he kept up the pretence that there wasn't any problem with his feelings for Lindsay, the more upset Ronnie was likely to be.

"So what do we do? I don't want us to keep fighting" he admitted in a softer tone

Her tone was harsher "Maybe you need to work out what you want first"

"What does that mean?" he asked edgily

Ronnie met his eyes for as long as was possible "We need a break"

He didn't say anything for a few moments, finally he managed to choke out a 'yeah?'

"Yeah" she said flatly, looking out of the windscreen and watching the pedestrians pass by. A heavy silence settled and it was only as they began to approach a train station that she spoke again.

"Remember, when…you asked me if I trusted you or not?" she paused "Well I don't"

Danny's eyes widened and his mouth became a hard line "Fine. I don't _need_ all these complications" he muttered

"You think I do?"

When he didn't answer she let out an angry hiss and stared at him "Stop the car, I'm walking"

He rolled his eyes and firmly said; "Christ Veronica, you're not walking"

She folded her arms crossly and the rest of the journey was spent in uncomfortable, painful silence. It was only when she was out of the car and he was back in his apartment that they truly realised what had just happened between them.

* * *

Stella pressed her head against Frankie's shoulder, listening to the rhythm of his heart beat slow down. They had made love after a romantic meal and like the entire evening everything had been perfect and yet there she was lying in the arms of a good man but her thoughts would constantly drift back to Mac. 

It wasn't that she didn't feel strongly for Frankie, she did. God knows she did, she loved the way he made her smile, his masculinity and his creative gentle side but Mac…now that was a whole different set of emotions, ones that were distinctly more affecting than anything she felt for Frankie.

Sighing into his chest, she kissed his shoulder ridge "I should get to work baby"

He murmured something sleepily and ruffled her hair; she wished he didn't do that. It was patronising. She thought of Mac and wondered if he would ever do that to her and knew that he wouldn't. He would be perfect, he'd make her body feel things that she never thought it could and she'd never let him go.

But of course, this was just a strange fantasy of hers. It was nothing serious at all, not at all.

* * *

Don stared down at his suspect angrily only to jump when his phone buzzed. He groaned inwardly, wishing he'd remembered to turn it off that morning, making an excuse to the officer in there he headed outside the interview room and waited till a passer by had gone out of ear shot before answering. 

"Yeah?" he grumbled moodily

"It's me"

He brightened up suddenly at hearing George's voice "Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah…I'm fine. You don't sound too hot though, did I interrupt something?"

Don glanced over his shoulder "Nah. Nothing much, what's up?"

"I'm telling my parents this weekend; I just thought…you might wanna come along"

He arched his eyebrows, even though she couldn't see him "Really?"

"Well you _are_ the father"

Chuckling at her dry tone, he mentally ran through his schedule and knew he was fully booked.

"This weekend?"

"Yeah, they are in town this weekend only"

"Sure. That's fine then. I'll call you later and we can arrange things" he said lightly and prayed someone would cover his shift that weekend

"Really? Thank you so much"

He smiled self indulgently at her glee "Nothing doing. See you later alright?"

"See ya"

Don hung up and switched off his cell straight after, he sighed to himself. Trying to return back to a more professional mind set, he knew of course that no good would come out of constant fantasies that he and George would end up back together but there was no getting the idea out of his head.


	27. The Build Up And The Let Down

**A/N: Firstly, yes I know when Christmas was and I'm very sorry for the lateness but I've been busy. Still, enjoy this and thanks for the reviews, I've missed writing but I'm back!**

* * *

Looking up from their conversation at exactly the same time, Danny and Sheldon burst into laughter at what they saw.

"Ho, ho, ho, merry fucking Christmas"

Standing at their table in the otherwise empty break room was Adam Ross carrying a novelty red stocking whilst wearing a matching Santa hat and a surly expression.

"Damn, lose a bet Ross?" teased Danny

"I knew casual Fridays would be a bad idea" snickered Sheldon

Adam rolled his eyes "It's for Secret Santa" he scowled

"So this is Stella's doing" said Sheldon knowingly

"The things you do for a good looking woman," laughed Danny

Adam thrust the stocking at the two CSI's his expression as moody as the darkening sky outside "One more word and I swear…just pick a name already"

Struggling to hold back their laughter the two men each reached into the stocking and picked out a piece of paper.

"Can we do swapsies" asked Danny

Adam ignored him and trudged out of the break room, leaving them to their lunch break.

Sheldom smirked "And I thought Santa was supposed to be a jolly fellow"

Danny grinned, about to quip back when Lindsay bustled in looking flustered.

"Danny! I've been looking everywhere for you" she exclaimed, she paused for breath and said hello to Sheldon.

"You found me. What's the rush Montana?" said Danny

"Mac wants us, same crime scene, new crime" she explained quickly

Danny looked wistfully at his meatball sub then at Lindsay "Fine. Let's go" he got up and left with her, leaving Sheldon to happily eat Danny's lunch.

* * *

Flipping her compact open, Ronnie took one last check at her reflection before snapping it shut again as the elevator doors opened with an ominous squeak and she was met with the fact that she'd be sharing the small space with two of the last people she wanted to see at that moment already in the elevator.

"Hey Veronica" said Lindsay brightly

Ronnie managed a lame hello before stepping into the lift, standing on the other side, which was as far away from Danny as possible leaving Lindsay ironically in the middle.

"Which floor?" asked Danny

"Ground" replied Ronnie just as brusquely

He jabbed at the corresponding elevator button and the machine began to move down the floors.

"You look really nice by the way," said Lindsay, complimenting the red dress Ronnie was wearing which even Danny hadn't failed to notice.

Ronnie murmured a 'thank you'.

"Any special reason?" said Lindsay trying to alleviate the odd tension

Ronnie shrugged "You wouldn't know him. Nikolai Vasquez he's…"

"The middleweight champion?" interjected Danny sharply

The redhead nodded "We went to high school together, he asked me to be his date as a favour"

Danny scoffed; he was certain she was trying to make him jealous and suddenly had no desire to be in the elevator any longer. He jabbed the ground floor button again.

"I wouldn't do that…" started Lindsay but it was too late, the damage was done. The machine squeaked and ground to a halt.

"Thanks a lot Messer" snapped Ronnie and reached for her cell frowning on seeing there was no signal

"Like this was my fault. This thing is wired faulty," he snapped back

"Guys chill out," sighed Lindsay, she leant over and pressed the service button

"This is Lou, at yer service" said a heavily Italian man over the intercom

"Hi…Lou. I'm Lindsay Munroe, I'm in elevator…fifteen with Danny Messer and Veronica Flack we work in the forensics department and the elevator has broke down. We'd appreciate it if you could get us out of here" she said

Lou chuckled "Well I'm all the way across town, you gotta wait at least a half hour afore I gets there"

There was a collective voicing of dismay from the trio.

"Christ, you don't have anyone else that can get down here?" said Danny but Lou had already gone off line.

"I guess we're stuck here," said Lindsay wearily

Ronnie and Danny exchanged mutual looks of dismay, it had only been two weeks since their 'break' and neither wanted to be around the other but despite their best wishes, there was no changing that.

* * *

Mac furrowed his brow, staring intently along the quiet suburb street, empty now that it was so dark at night and almost willing Lindsay and Danny to show up.

"Have they called?" he asked looking over at Stella

She was stood in front of the house they were to investigate, talking to one of the on site officers.

"Nope" replied Stella "We might as well get started. They're probably stuck in traffic"

She took her cell from her pocket, moving down the porch steps to the driveway where Mac was; she went to dial only for the cell to ring anyway. Stella stared at the screen, a frown crossing a features then hung up.

"Anything wrong?" asked Mac cautiously

"It was just Frankie" she said tersely

Normally he would have asked what was going on but he'd begun to realise that the less involved he was in Stella's life the less painful it was to think of her. Sometimes.

"They'll call," said Stella misjudging the reasons for his expression

"Let's just get started" said Mac and started for the house.

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick again"

Don groaned "Well we're already at the hotel. Hold it in"

She gave him a dirty look and absently brushed her wiry curls from her face, peering anxiously at her reflection in the glass entrance doors of the Four Seasons.

"Okay. Let's do this," said Don exhaling and adjusting his tie.

He pushed the doors open, nodding at the well dressed door man and was all the way to the foyer when he realised George wasn't with him. Running back to get her he dragged her with him ignoring her mutters of how he was abusive to pregnant women and stopped the hotel's dining room.

"Now relax alright, I know this is…going to be difficult but just take it in little steps. We go in, meet and greet, order and then…"

"Then?" she asked scornful at his calm

"You tell them you're pregnant"

She looked queasy again; he took her hand and squeezed it sympathetically.

"Jacob Wheil. _Doctor _Jacob Wheil. This is my wife Katrina"

Don held his hand out ot the doctor and found it gripped roughly accompanied by a an intimidating stare from the doctor's dark eyes. Thankfully the blonde and graceful Katrina (which made Don wonder where George got her clumsiness from) was much sweeter, kissing and hugging both Don and her daughter.

As they sat down preparing to order and trying not to be intimidated by Jacob's suspicious looks Don suddenly understood why George felt so queasy.

"So, you're a cop too I hear" said Jacob once they had ordered (from the speciality Jewish chef)

"Yes sir, it runs in the family," said Don proudly

"You think family is important then?" said Jacob, his wife looked at him curiously wondering what he was getting at

"Yes I do. I have a big family, wouldn't trade them for the world" he said

Jacob nodded thoughtfully "Is that so? Then uh tell me…why didn't you two even bother letting us meet you before you got engaged?" he said suddenly

Katrina frowned in dismay while Don looked awkward, caught between a confused smile and embarrassment.

"Dad! We're _not _engaged," snapped George

"Then what's this whole fancy dinner for?" sighed Jacob looking relieved

Katrina ignored her husband "Sweetheart, we just assumed…that this was the big news you had. Finally you were getting married"

George frowned at this "Stop with the wedding obsession. This is not about that…."

She faltered and shot Don a worried look, he gave her an encouraging smile she exhaled and looked at her parents.

"I'm pregnant. Flack…I mean Donald is the father"

There was a shocked silence from her parents as they absorbed this information, Katrina recovered quickly, she smiled and got up, hugging and kissing her daughter.

"Darling that's wonderful"

George smiled in relief at this and then looked over to her father "Dad? Aren't you going to say something?"

He shot up from his seat and stormed out without a backwards glance; Katrina sat back down, frowning.

"I'm sorry about that kids, he loves drama your father but he'll come around" she said, trying to reassure them

Neither Don nor George looked convinced

* * *

Lindsay let out a sigh of relief as the elevator doors slid open, sounding as if they had been working perfectly all the time.

"Finally" muttered Ronnie stalking out of the machine without a word to Lou the technechian

"Thank you" said Lindsay politely

Lou pretended to tip an imaginary hat to her "S'my pleasure ma'am"

Danny was last to leave the elevator and Lou noted him with a conspiratorial wink "Musta been nice stuck in there with two lovely ladies"

Danny scoffed sarcastically "That'd be right"

He caught up with Lindsay "I'm going to call Mac, he's gonna be pissed" he muttered not really talking to her

Lindsay glanced sideways at him as they walked out of the building "What was all that in the elevator? All that sniping with Ronnie…it was like you were a couple or something" she said, only half joking

"Operative word being _were_" replied Danny with a surly frown; he was saved from explaining this when Mac answered his call

Lindsay wondered why she was so surprised that they had been a couple but she supposed what bothered her more was the way Danny had made her feel as if she was the only one he was interested in. She smiled wryly, she'd learnt her lesson now anyway.

* * *

**A/N: Movie Voice Shock storylines upahead involving all your favourite characters, tune in next week to find out more! Normal Voice Seriously, they are GOOD.**


	28. Between Friends And Enemies

**_Friends and Enemies. Family and Strangers. _**

**_Post Run Silent, Run Deep and Access All Areas_**

* * *

Don rapped on his sister's bedroom door, when he got no response, he opened it himself and found a round lump of covers and sheets in the centre of the bed which he correctly guessed to be Ronnie.

"Hey! Rise and shine" he said brightly and went over to her window, sweeping the curtains open

She muttered some expletives and turned over trying to ignore him but he sat on the edge of her bed and nudged her awake.

"Argh. What do you want?" she groaned slowly sitting up, her red dyed hair sticking up in adorable tufts

Don smiled pleasantly and waved the copy of a tabloid newspaper at her "So guess who made the back pages?"

Ronnie yawned and rubbed her eyes "Don, I don't read that crap. If I've never cared before what makes you think I will care now? Go. Away"

He ignored her and started reading "Our reporter asks you this; _'Which up and coming boxing champ was spotted at his brother's new diner showing off two sporty red numbers? One was a foxy red car and the other was a feisty redhead that he just couldn't keep his hands off? The red hot duo were later seen heading to the Four Seasons with where the party continued late into the night'_ " he cleared his throat and looked at her appalled face

"Wanna explain?"

She grabbed the paper "_Ohmygod!_ Are they allowed to print _that?!"_ she shrieked seemingly forgetting about being half asleep moments ago she glared at Don "Nothing happened. Whoever he went to the Four Seasons with was not me" she protested indignantly

Don sighed wearily "I know. I believe you but...what is going on with you? Staying out all night and now you're getting put into these rags? Is there something I should know about? Something happened at work?"

Ronnie swung her legs over the side of the bed, leaving the paper behind "There's nothing going on. I'm just having fun"

"You don't look like you are. You call people gossiping about you fun?" he said seriously and looked carefully at his younger sister. She refused to meet his gaze

"D, if I wanted a lecture. I would call Dad or Mom, but I'm twenty seven years old so...I don't have to hear this. I'm gonna grab a shower"

She then headed off into the bathroom before he even had a chance to protest.

Don sighed and looked around the room, normally his sister was quite tidy but whenever she went on a night out she would go through her closet like a hurricane, leaving a trail of clothing in her wake. He started to pick up some of the discarded clothes, folding them back up and piling them onto a chest of drawers.

As he did so, something caught his eye on the floor; a shoe box that appeared to have been stepped on, he opened it and saw a pair of expensive looking shoes.

"Pays millions for these and then doesn't even look after them" he muttered and then noticed a photograph under the heel of one of the shoes. He held it up to the light and suddenly everything about the way Ronnie had been acting made sense.

Before he had time to let the information sink in, the doorbell rang. He put the shoebox and the photos back where they were before he'd found them and went to answer the front door.

"Merry Christmas!"

"It's not Christmas _yet_ Izzy" sighed Don, wondering why his older sister had shown up that day

"I like to get in the mood" she said brightly and took off her pink bobble hat, shaking out her black hair "So, ready to go?"

He went blank and she sighed "Donald. You're supposed to help me find a Christmas tree"

Don's eyes widened briefly "Ah...crap. I forgot, I have to work today"

She pouted as she followed him into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"Well that's perfect! I planned this weeks ago" she grumbled "You owe me some karma"

"Green tea?" he offered sheepishly

Izzy went with him into the kitchen "Yeah, yeah. Alright...I guess that is some apology"  
As he started to make her tea for her, he realised she was staring at him.

"What? Something on my face?"

Izzy frowned "I'm the middle child, I'm sensitive. I know when somethings wrong...come on, spit it out"

Don exhaled "It's just Ronnie. Sometimes...it's like she just doesn't care about people's feelings. She just does whatever she wants, I know that she's...trying to protect herself from being hurt but...this isn't right"

Izzy's frown deepened "What are you talking about?" then she seemed to connect the dots "Oh...you know about her and Danny? It's sad they broke up huh?"

"You knew?!" he exclaimed exasperatedly "I can't believe you knew! I bet Ros did too then"

She looked sheepish "Ronnie didn't want to tell you yet because she thought you might overreact"

He scoffed "She knew he was my friend..." he let out a frustrated growl "Is this why she's been acting so off lately? I told her! She keeps going for guys like this and I have to deal with the mess at the end of the day"

His sister shook her head "Now...that's not fair. Sure she makes mistakes but that's her business and Don, everyone makes mistakes. Remember you and George?"

"But she seems to just go out of her way...what happened was years ago...I thought she would have moved on" he growled impatiently

"Wow"

The two older siblings both looked up, surprised to see Ronnie standing at the entrance to the kitchen

"I can't believe you" she said glaring at Don "I thought you of all people always had my back...if I knew I was this much hassle to you..."

"He didn't mean to..." started Izzy

Ronnie cut her off dismissively "Both of you have no right to be talking about me behind my back. So just stay out of my life. Right now" she stalked off furiously

"D, you have to go after her" sighed Izzy rubbing her forehead wearily

Don groaned and raked a hand through his hair "I-I...I can't deal with her right now. I have to be somewhere" then he stalked off just as angrily as his younger sister had, grabbing his coat on the way and leaving the apartment.

* * *

"You're late"

Don frowned and looked at the wall clock in the clinic then back at George. "Hey! No I'm not"

She smirked "Yeah but you are gullible"

He sat down on the plastic chairs beside her, they were in the waiting room of her doctor's office, waiting to go in for a scan.

"Something up?" she asked, she knew the other detective well enough by now to know when he was in a bad mood.

Don glanced at her and shook his head "I don't wanna worry you"

George rolled her eyes "Please, it'll give me something else to think about other than this baby. For once"

He then told her about his argument with Ronnie and what he'd said. When he was finished she whistled and then looked at him seriously.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you something that might shock you"

Don raised his eyebrows "What"

"Your sister Veronica is twenty seven years old. She's an adult, with a capital A" said George firmly

"I know" he muttered sullenly

George shook her head "See, I don't think that you do. If you want to help her...then you're going to have to let her decide herself if she wants your help. Keep the way you're going and you could ruin your relationship with her"

He folded his arms "She's my baby sister, I'm just trying to...look out for her but I can't when she keeps..."

George smiled gently and rubbed his arm "Yeah. I know...but it doesn't look like that to her. It looks like you're judging her and trying to take over her life-which I know you're not but...listen; give her some space. She'll come around but you have to let her make her mistakes. When she needs you, you'll know...but the rest of the time...she's not a little girl anymore"

Don looked thoughtful, he was about to say something more when the nurse called them in to the doctor's office.

"You'll make a great mom" he said quietly

George squeezed his hand "You'll make a great dad..." she smiled teasingly "With some help"

* * *

Ronnie sat down on the bleachers, listening to the noise of other spectators, only half watching the game, she downed more of her smoothie and stared at her watch, finally her brother showed up, wearing a yellow tee shirt that matched those of some neighbourhood kids he mentored with the YMCA.

"Well you're late" she pointed out once he'd settled the kids down and he too was seated "Sorry, thanks for helping me out"

"Yeah well, I'm here for them not you" she replied quietly

Don furrowed his brow, he hated it when he and Ronnie fought but it was clear she wasn't ready to forgive him for what he'd said a few weeks earlier and he knew that the fight hadn't exactly helped especially when she was going through a break up with Danny, the idea of which he was still struggling to deal with himself.

"So I went to the doctor's with George" he said conversationally

"Sssh, I'm trying to watch the game, right kids?" she retorted, turning and smiling at one of the girls who grinned back

Still, her brother persisted "We got our ultrasound picture of the baby last week. Didn't have time to show you"

Ronnie was listening now in spite of herself and he could tell "You wanna check it out"  
She sighed and relented "Alright, show me"

He brought out the grainy photograph from his wallet "It's amazing right? Blew my mind"

"It is amazing" she admitted and smiled "That kid is going to be so cute!"

"Can I see?!" exclaimed a boy nearby who had been listening in

Ronnie grinned and handed him the photo "Be careful with it alright?" she watched as the kids passed it around, some making sentimental cooing noises, others that were unable to see the foetus; were left wondering what all the fuss was about. Finally they returned it to Ronnie and she gave it back to her older brother.

Don smiled and nodded "Seeing that picture, it made me realise that there a lot more important things that I could be worried about other than my baby sister's love life. Right?"

Clearing her throat, she stood up suddenly "I'm not feeling so good, I might head off"

"But we just got here" he protested and stared at her "Look, I'm trying to apologise okay?" he said in a lower tone

"Well I don't want to hear it" she retorted and made her way past the other spectators, flashing a sunny smile at the kids that belied how she truly felt Rolling up her sleeves she walked out of the park, feeling even worse than before. She would not have felt as bad as she already did about Danny if Don hadn't said what he'd said and the fact that it came from him; her brother, made it that much worse.

"Hey!"

She lifted her head, wandering who had called her and spotted Adam waving from next to a magazine stand, clutching a coffee and a giant pretzel.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked once she was near enough to hear

"Druker park, basket ball game"

"In _those_ heels?!"

"I'm short they're a _necessity!_ Anyway, where'd you come from?"

"Well...Ireland originally"

"Ross..."

"Work" he said making a face, he looked at her weary expression and moved onto something more positive "Christmas coming up. And my birthday"

"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that" she said sarcastically

"So I talked about a little. Big deal" they started walking down the street "_A little?!_ Anyway, what about your birthday?"

"It's going a little insane, all these people are coming and they're all expecting food and drink and entertainment and it's making me wonder...all these people don't they have better things to do on Christmas day? Like celebrate the birth of little baby Jesus or something?"

He noticed she smiled at this and he was glad to see it, he'd missed his friend's sunniness. They crossed the street, and continued on down the block, passing Sears which had a gaudy Thanksgiving display up in it's front window.

"So just cancel it and have a quiet thing" she suggested, he wordlessly handed her his pretzel and she smiled again, taking a bite out of it

"Well I've tried, believe me but no can do. It's getting out of hand" he muttered drinking down his coffee and wishing he hadn't just worn a tee shirt as the breeze picked up "There are worse problems in the world Ross, I think this might be those things you're exaggerating again"

"I'm serious! Will you help me out or what Flack?"

Now she made a face "I'm swamped, lots of uh work to do"

"Woah!" he exclaimed suddenly looking at her and startling a couple of passers by "What?" she said in surprise, snapping her head around to see what he was looking at

"Your pants are on fire" he said drily

She let out an involuntary giggle to which made him even more certain that he was on the right track.

"You'd be doing me a massive favour, I know you're good at all this party planning stuff, I'm a survivor of your legendary spring pool party remember?" and nudged her with his elbow

"Come on, you owe me" he tried when she shook her head and took another bite of the pretzel

"Hah! Since when? What about just last week when I covered for you because you were hungover or last month when I took your shift so you could wait in line just for that games station!" she rebounded sharply, a twinkle in her eyes

He held up his hands defensively "Alright! It's not about who owes whom and that was not just a games station it was the ultimate in virtual gaming and cost me two months pay check..." at her scornful look he widened his eyes

"Help me out, come on"

She gave in at this 'puppy dog' expression and pointed down a busy street which was crowded with restaurants and small boutiques

"There's an amazing Mexican place. Buy me dinner and we can start planning"

Raising his eyebrows he glanced down at his shorter friend "I thought you were 'swamped'"

* * *

Looking at the face of the clock on the restaurant's terracotta walls; Adam was surprised to find he and Ronnie had been there near four hours and remembering why they were there in the first place he realised they hadn't gotten that much work done on his party situation.  
Still looking at the now much more cheerful Ronnie who was merrily ordering another round of tequila shots, Adam thought that at least he'd accomplished that.

"It's closing time in about ten minutes Flack, we better move" he pointed out, downing his drink and cancelling the order from the bored waiter

"Ah, shame that. I was actually having fun" said Ronnie tossing the olive from her martini into her mouth

"I can see that" he smirked "Forgot all about my birthday but whatever" he moved his plate aside and glanced at the bill "Hey. Pony up for your half"

"My sincerest apologies" she said in mock solemness and fished into her purse for some money for the bill

"I'll pay. Think of it as down payment on my party planning" he said decisively, placing some bills down on the table

Ronnie stood up and stretched "You won't hear me complaining"

On heading outside, the idea of walking home in the already darkening sky and frosty breeze didn't seem all that appealing to the two lab techs.

"Cab" they said almost simultaneously, sharing a titter

Once they'd got one, both scrambled into the musty smelling vehicle, a little unsteady on their feet after drinking

"Jesus! Was it always this cold at night?" sighed Adam shivering and laughing at the same time

"Generally what happens in winter" she said mockingly "Down fifth please" she said, directing the cab driver

They sat in amiable silence, enjoying the ride until they reached Ronnie's place "This is me" she looked at Adam

"I know that you were trying to cheer me up earlier by the way" a smile forming on her face

He snorted so loudly he scared the cabbie "I wouldn't do anything of the sort"

"Well whatever you were doing..." she said wryly "...You Adam Ross, are one of the good guys " and wrapped him in a ferocious bear hug

Adam scoffed but he looked bashful this time "Get out of here kid"

She left him some money for the cab and hopped out laughing, she'd had a good night and it really had brightened her day no end just to be hanging out with one of her friends and not have to worry about everything else that was going on in her life.

"Hey Ronnie"

She was halfway up the stairs to her front door when she saw Danny.

She frowned; so much for her good day.

* * *

Sheldon shot a sideways look at Don who seemed unusually distracted from his work "You alright man?"

Don glanced at the corpse in the dirty alley and grimaced "Yeah. Perfect"

Sheldon peered at his pager, another crime scene needed his attention "Lindsay, Danny guess it's just you two"

The two CSI's briefly aknowledged this information then returned to their evidence collection.

Don took a look at his own flashing pager; he had to be at the same scene as Sheldon.

The two men started to walk towards Sheldon's car where they would ride together to the next case.

"Nothing wrong with George and the baby I hope?" said Sheldon tentatively, he knew that Don hated talking about his private life, especially at work and when it referred to George.

Don shook his head quickly "No. Why?"

"You've got an unusually long face that's all" Sheldon said with a lighthearted smile "Hmph. Well...it's...actually she's been getting in my face a little about work" Don muttered and as Mac sat behind the wheel the younger detective got in to the passenger's seat

Sheldon indicated he was listening and started up the car while Don continued "I mean, look I wouldn't be talking to you about my personal life but uh, Ronnie isn't exactly speaking to me so..."

Sheldon smiled wryly "It's fine, go on"

"Well uh, she thinks that I'm more interested in my job or going out for a drink than I am the baby just 'coz I miss a couple of those ridiculous 'antenatal' classes. The whole reason I'm working so I can give this kid a future and some other, rare days I need to relax! So what if I get a drink after work with some pals?" explained Don

Sheldon looked thoughtful, he wasn't too certain on what exactly George and Don's relationship was with each other but he could tell that there was a lot more Don wasn't saying, on his part anyway, but thinking of the case they had ahead he decided to give an abbreviated reply.

"George is giving up a lot too. You have to think about that. If all you have to do is cut down on your hours than that's more than worth the sacrifice for what you'll get when nine months comes around. Sometimes you have to sit down and decide what's important"

Don sighed faintly "I knew she was right. I should have talked to Danny, he would have sided with me"

Sheldon smirked

* * *

Danny stumbled and slumped down on the the front steps to Ronnie's apartment, she groaned, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Christ Messer, are you _drunk?"_

He furrowed his brow, hazily "Hey, I had onedrink. Anyway, can you blame me?"

She sighed "Well you smell like that one drink was out of a bathtub" she opened her front door and leant in the door frame

"What do you want?"

He seemed to sober up slightly at her tone "I just need to talk to you okay? Please"

Relenting and at the same time wishing she wasn't doing so, she exhaled "Come inside"

Danny unsteadily followed Ronnie into her apartment, crashing down on the couch and running a hand through his fair hair

"We haven't got any coffee" she said, setting a glass of water in front of her ex-boyfriend and wondering why when it came to Danny Messer she always gave in so easily, if he was drunk, that was his problem. Right?

"It's Louie, he's hurt real bad" he murmured his eyes glittering suddenly as he remembered seeing his brother in his hospital bed

Her eyes widened in shock, this was the first she'd heard of any accident "When?"

"Last night, I think that was your night off" he sighed and pushed his head back against the softness of the couch

She sat down tentatively beside him "What happened?"

Letting out a weary sigh, Danny took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes "He got into some trouble with Tanglewood, trying to look out for me"

She looked at him sadly "Is he doing okay?"

"The doctor's said he's stable but I-I...you should have seen him in there. He didn't look like himself, I always thought he was invincible" he said softly and closed his eyes, clearly unable to deal with the issue quite so easily just yet, which explained why he'd decided to get drunk

Ronnie instinctively wrapped her arm around Danny, her heart going to him in his pain and he let his head sink down onto her shoulder "You should have called" she said rubbing his back comfortingly

"I didn't think you wanted to hear from me"

"Yeah but I'd want to know about something like this"

"Sorry"

She brushed his hair and sighed softly "It's okay. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head against her "I just wanna sit here"

She nodded understandingly That's fine. We could just watch some TV or something. I think Leno's on"

He quietly agreed, suddenly wishing he could tell her how much he'd missed her.  
She let go of him and reached for the remote, turning the television on and switching to the right channel. They sat there together watching whatever was on until later on in the night when Danny fell asleep on her lap. She slipped away, leaving him with a cushion and a blanket and went to sleep in her own room. If that night had made her realise one thing it was that it hurt too much to see Danny and not be able to be there for him as a girlfriend but if she was ever going to be a good friend to him the way Adam was to her then she would have to learn to deal with her feelings.

* * *

Stella stared dazedly at Frankie's body, breathless and shaking she felt the gun slip out of her hands. Suddenly after everything, the room had fallen silent, she felt herself starting to fade and as she fell, the last person she saw was not Frankie but Mac, she had to tell him...

* * *

**_post Access All Areas_**

Sheldon pushed open the glass doors to the forensics lab and greeted the two people working there with his usual charming smile.

"Hey guys" he said setting down a couple of clear plastic pockets containing hair strands he'd pulled from his latest case

Adam grunted something and Ronnie seemed not to have heard him

"I said hello" repeated Sheldon as a minute passed and neither lab tech did much in the way of acknowledging him

"Oh hey Doc, did you just come in?" said Ronnie brightly, turning away from her computer, grateful from being given a chance to look away from the screen which was starting to hurt her eyes

Sheldon rolled his eyes "Techs work hard, CSI's don't. I get it"

Adam folded his arms smugly "Finally. Some recognition"

"Can we help you out Doc?" said a more pleasant Ronnie

"Just some hair strands I need a name for" said Sheldon and passed the samples to Adam who looked at them miserably

"Great! More work"

"Must be looking forward to your birthday party then, some time off" said Sheldon conversationally

"Yeah, yeah, you're invited" said Adam with a smile

Sheldon grinned "I'm fine actually, just like thanksgiving I'll be with family"

Ronnie smiled knowingly "That because Izzy said she's spending thanksgiving with her family?"

The CSI reluctantly nodded "Yeah, yeah. Shame you guys are working New Years coz I'm having a party that..."

He faltered on seeing their crestfallen faces "Uh...something I said?"

"We're working Christmas Eve and now New Years _too?!_" groaned Adam

Sheldon wisely made a quick exit, leaving them to vent on each other and not him.

"Y'know I actually had plans, there was this party my friend heard about that all these dancers were getting together with their friends for some massive garden slash pool party" said Adam dismally

Ronnie smirked "It is actually _just_ a garden party"

"You heard about it too?"

"The_ 'dancers'_ are my friends"

He rolled his eyes "Figures. Were you always little Miss. Popular?"

She laughed "_Noooo,_ anyway we'll still have fun new years okay? Promise?" she held out her hand across the room

Sighing and trying not to smile Adam nodded and reached over from his desk to shake her hand "Yeah, yeah, promise"

* * *

Stella ran a hand through her curly hair and stared at the view through the window, New York was still moving, still living and breathing and as busy as it ever was even though to her life had been completely turned on it's head two nights before.

She sighed and jumped when she realised someone else was in her room with her.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" said Mac quietly

She shook her head "No, it's fine. Those for me?" she said gesturing with a nod of her head to the flowers in Mac's hand

He smiled gently "Yes they are"

"I love tulips. They'll look great in my place" she smiled as he handed them to her and lifted them to her face, softly inhaling the fresh smell

"They're beautiful"

"I thought I could give you a ride back" he offered, she shook her head

"I think I need to do this on my own"

"Are you..."

Stella nodded quickly, interjecting him "Yeah. Besides, I've still got Veronica, she insisted on cooking for me tomorrow night. So I'll have some company at least"

Mac wished he was the one that could be there for her but he was glad that she was with someone at least and he suspected she might have preferred a woman's presence while she got herself together.

He stood closer to her, a hand on her shoulder "Take it easy, I-I know you're tough but you've got to let this heal itself"

She glanced down at the floor "I know, I couldn't do it without your help"

A moment's silence went past them, then he held out his hand and hugged her, she stayed there in his warm embrace, wishing she could be there for ever and that everything with Frankie had never happened but for now she wasn't ready to start a relationship. Even if it was with Mac.

* * *

George groaned and looked at her wrist watch "Late again, father of the year"

Pushing past revolving doors that opened into an average sized room where in the centre was a circle of couples gay and straight, talking amongst themselves and setting up their exercise mats as they waited for the ante natal class to proceed. At the front of the room was the tall blonde instructor chatting to a dark haired man in an expensive looking black suit.  
George walked around the couples, over to an empty space at the end of the circle and unrolled the pale blue mat she'd had rolled up under her arm and sat down carefully on it. She glanced over at a woman who was apparently at the same stage of her pregnancy as George and yet her bump was at least twice as big as George's. The detective quietly prayed that she never got to that size, she looked over at the instructor, wandering when the class would get started, then she did a double take. Recognising the man talking to the instructor she clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.  
He turned to her and smiled, then he started to walk over.  
Her hand dropped from her mouth as she gaped at him.

"George" he said, crouching down in front of her and holding out his hand

"You look wonderful"

She continued to stare, then finally she managed to speak "Orson"

"Can we talk?" he said quietly, noting that some neighbouring couples were trying to listen in to the conversation

George bit her lip "The class...how did you know I was here?"

"Your mother told me" he said with a pointed smirk

She smiled ruefully "I might have known"

She took his hand tentatively, still staring as he helped her to her feet.

They walked together in silence to the outside of the classroom, an empty hallway dotted with message boards covered with various health information leaflets.

"So how have you been?" she asked, unsure what to say, so unsettled was she by Orson's sudden reappearance in her life "Last I heard you were living in France"

"It was fine for a while" he said looking at her intently with his dark green eyes "But I missed New York, what can I say, I missed a lot of things"

She flushed and looked down, her hand seeking her stomach, she rubbed it self consciously "Well...a lot's happened"

"I can tell" he said and brushed her cheek with a warm hand "I mean it, you look wonderful"

George took a step back and stared at him bemusedly "Orson...I don't know why you came back. What do you want?"

He smiled "What I've always wanted"

She struggled to hold his searching gaze but did so all the same "When you chose France over us...that was the end of that. You know that"

Orson let out a low sigh and ran a finger absently over his chin, which wore the faint dark stubble it always had. "Can we have dinner? I really would like us to talk, catch up"

George shook her head "I don't think that's such a good idea"

"Are you with someone?" he asked quietly

She folded her arms across her chest, thinking of her strange relationship with Don. They were a lot of things to each other but even she knew that they weren't a couple anymore, she wished he'd shown up to the class. Sighing, she nodded.

"Alright. Friday night" she said

Orson's eyes twinkled and he reached for her hand, raising it up to his lips and kissing it affectionately "The old place?"

George started to smile "The old place"

He let go of her hand just as Don appeared, breathless and still in his suit from work, looking slightly frayed at the edges, it was clear he'd had a particularly arduous day. He stopped in front of Orson and George, looking between them and wondering what was going on.

George started, startled to see him there "Flack. I thought you weren't going to show up"  
"Yeah well...I thought I might as well seeing as I'm the father" he joked and then looked at Orson, he stuck out his hand "Don Flack"

Orson looked at George in silent surprise "This is the father?"

George nodded sheepishly, Orson smiled slowly and turned to Don, shaking the other man's hand firmly "Orson Binoche"

"Senator Edgar Binoche's kid?" said Don, looking slightly surprised

Orson looked chagrined "One and the same although I prefer to be known as a doctor rather than my father's son"

"How do you know George?"

Orson shot a brief glance at George, one that Don couldn't fail to miss or wonder about.

"We are...old friends. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe you both have a class to be at...and I myself have an appointment to keep" said Orson he turned to George "Georgina, don't be a stranger. Mr. Flack it was a pleasure to meet you"

"Yeah" murmured Don, feeling as if he was out of the loop on something

Orson tipped his head to George and then walked out of the building, George watched him go, smiling to herself. Orson had always been the perfect gentleman.

"I guess the Bentley I saw outside was for him" whistled Don breaking her out of her reverie

George sighed "Let's just get into the class. We're already late"

* * *

Lindsay neatly unfolded a bloody white shirt, covered in black stained finger prints and laid it down on the illuminated surface, casting a professional eye over it and estimating what she would have to do in order to get the clearest evidence, once she'd decided on a method she settled in to her work only pausing when Danny arrived carrying a box of shoes which he had to match to some foot impressions.

"How ya doing Montana"

"Fine Messer" she said with a wry smirk, as much as she complained about it thanks to a revelation from the ME she knew the real reason behind it and although half of her dismissed this, another half found it rather sweet.

Danny started out on his own work, setting out each shoe and humming a tune quietly, when Lindsay was struck by a sudden thought.

"You and uh Veronica, are you two okay now?" she said tentatively

He looked up at her slowly and remembered the night he'd stayed at Ronnie's house, she'd left early in the morning for work and neither had said much about it but they argued a lot less now.

"Yeah, we're cool. It's old news" he replied finally

Lindsay nodded "Right, I'd never have pictured you two as a couple before"

He sighed wondering where she was going with the conversation "Well we're not that different"

"No I mean I understand you liking her, everyone loves her around here and she's gorgeous" added Lindsay hastily

"Too good for me y'mean?" he smirked

"It's not that. I just meant, I always thought you'd go for someone else, someone quieter..."

"Like who?" he was now looking at her so intently that she was unable to hold his gaze but still continued

"Well, you keep to yourself and Veronica seems more of an open book. I thought that would be difficult" she said finally

"I don't think you know her that well" he said not unkindly "Ronnie's not what people expect, she talks a lot but she listens more. She's a good person"

"I know"

"People 'love' her because she's easy to talk to, she's straight with people, but sometimes that gets ignored and people would rather gossip about how feisty she is..." he smiled faintly "Which she most definitely can be, but..." he paused thoughtfully

"Y'know what...maybe you oughta talk to her. See for yourself what she's like"

Lindsay nodded in silence, she hadn't gained any more insight into the break up than before and it was clear from Danny's expression that he still felt strongly for his ex which she supposed was what she'd wanted to know anyway

"Well I'm glad you two are okay now"

He shrugged, not really wanting to talk too much about his failed relationship but he was curious "Why the interest?"

Lindsay blushed "I'm just being a friend"

He arched an eyebrow but said nothing further on the matter

Ronnie froze outside the lab, watching Lindsay and Danny together. They looked so at ease together and she hated being the kind of woman that got jealous easily but she couldn't help it. Shaking her head she was now more determined than ever to move on, she'd never been in a situation where she cared about someone so much that she let them get to her the way Danny had and she decided that she wasn't going to be again.


	29. Rogue Wave

**A/N: Please read my user page for an explanation of the lateness with the whole chapter scenario, also please review each coming chapter (I'll throw in some bonus ones). Anyway, shocking times ahead, hold on to your hats I'm throwing spanners : ).**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Mac looked anxiously at George as she came into his office, she was on desk duty now and although he knew this frustrated her she seemed happy enough. He wondered how he was going to tell her what he had to tell her.

"Hey Mac"

"You alright?" he asked as she sat down carefully on a chair in front of his desk

"Yeah, just got some really funny jokes from some of the guys in my department asking why I wasn't having their baby. Asses" she said with a good natured smile

He paused for a moment, he had to tell her straight "Look, something happened with Donald. There was an explosion, he's in hospital right now"

She narrowed her eyes and struggled to retain the information "And?" she said shakily

"He's going to be in surgery in a little while, but it's serious" he admitted

George shut her eyes for a few seconds "What about his family?" she murmured "Ronnie...she'll want to know"

"Don't worry about that right now. I just think...that you should go home for now" he said carefully

Her brown eyes widened in disbelief "I have to go and see him...I can't just sit around at home!"

"I don't think it would help you or the baby if you saw him right now"

"Mac...but I..."

"I know" he said with genuine sympathy "I know, but the best you can do is look after yourself and the child, that's what he'd care about too"

She swallowed thickly and rubbed her eyes "Call me, whatever happens okay?" she felt tears coming but she refused to let them fall, Mac was right. She was determined to be strong.

"I promise I will" he said earnestly and stood up "C'mere"

They hugged, both of them deeply concerned for Don and hoping that the detective made it through his operation.

* * *

Adam rushed into the lab breathlessly and was relieved to find Ronnie at her desk still working.

"I thought you'd left" he said, leaning against a desk and trying to catch his breath

"Well I don't know why I would since I just got in to work...what's with you?" she asked raising her eyebrow

He went over to her desk and placed his hands on it, looking at her curiously "You're okay?"

"Course I am" she said and it was true, she'd been feeling a lot better lately

Raking a hand through his hair he frowned and looked at her again "You don't know then..."

Now she too was frowning "What's going on?"

"There was this explosion on your brother's case, he was trapped..."

Her heart plummeted as she listened "Is he okay?"

"He's in hospital now, they're operating now...I can't believe no one told you" he said, a flash of annoyance creeping into his voice

Ronnie exhaled and stood up, trying to think straight "I turned off my cell...god...I turned off my cell because I didn't want to talk to him"

Adam stared at her for a brief moment "Let's go. I'll drive you there"

"You have to work" she said weakly feeling very sick suddenly

"Let's go" he said firmly

She looked at him gratefully and grabbed her purse as they headed out of the lab, not even stopping to change out of their lab coats.

* * *

Looking down at her brother, Ronnie struggled to make the connection between the worryingly pale person lying in the hospital bed, and the affable, good humoured, talkative one she lived with, the one who always looked out for her.

"He looks terrible" she murmured to her sister

Ros nodded grimly "They're taking care of him" she said quietly and put an arm instinctively around her baby sister's shoulder

Izzy cried silently and clutched her older sibling, feeling helpless "They better catch this bastard" she said softly

The three sister's held each other tightly and stared at their brother's sleeping form, he'd come from surgery nearly an hour ago and had yet to awaken.

Ros caught the eye of Don's doctor through the glass screen on the wall, he gave her a meaningful look; it was time for them to leave.

"Okay girls, lets let Don get some sleep" Ros murmured firmly, squeezing them both to get their attention.

Izzy gulped back tears and followed her Ros to the door, they waited patiently as Ronnie planted a gentle kiss on her brother's forehead.

"I forgive you D" she said softly and blinked back tears

Then she straightened up and followed her sisters out of the quiet room, shutting the door carefully behind her.

Outside in the waiting room were Mac, Stella, Sheldon, Adam, Lindsay and Danny who was still in his suit from Aiden's funeral. The group sat silently apart but were all united in their worry about their friend and the faith that he would recover soon.

* * *

When Don's sisters re-emerged from his room, Mac stood up and smiled gently at them.

"How was he?"

Ros could tell neither of her younger sister's was up for talking much "Quiet, but he always is compared to us" she half joked

Mac nodded, he could see she was trying to be strong for her family "Will your parents be down?"

"My father is too sick to come down and my mother is taking care of him" said Ros with a sad smile "I don't think we should tell them until Don is stable"

"Of course" agreed Mac

Ros looked at her watch "I-I better get my sisters home"

"I wanna stay" said Ronnie speaking up

Ros studied her sibling's face and sighed "Okay, but get some rest after awhile"

Ronnie kissed Ros' cheek and hugged Izzy "I'll call"

Izzy gripped Ronnie affectionately in return "You better"

Sheldon headed out with them, offering to drive them both home. The small group watched the trio walk down the well lit hospital then returned their attention to the immediate issue of Don's health.

"You want something to drink?" asked Stella, getting up and stretching slightly "I can get you all a coffee, we might be here a while"

Lindsay shook her head "I might get home actually" she said standing up too

Stella smiled "See you" she went off to the canteen to get some refreshments for everyone else

"He'll be fine Ronnie" said Lindsay to the younger woman, not knowing what else to say

Ronnie nodded distractedly "Thank you" she sat down on one of the plastic chairs next to Adam

"I'll give you a ride" offered Danny, knowing that there wasn't much he could do for Ronnie right now, but he would still return later after he'd dropped Lindsay off

The remaining three fell into thoughtful silence, until Mac left to go and see Don for himself. After a while Ronnie's phone rang, it was Chad calling to see how she was. They didn't talk as frequently as they would have liked to but the two former lab partners were still close.

"How you holding up?" asked Adam, once she hung up the phone. It was the first time he'd said anything to Ronnie since he brought her to the hospital a few hours earlier.

She bit her lip "It's not about me, it's about D. You'd think some people would realise that"

He didn't miss the bitter note in her tone "Danny?" being one of best friends he'd realised by now that Ronnie and Danny had been more than just co-workers.

Scoffing, she shook her head "I thought he'd be here for his best friend at least but god..."

Adam leant back into his chair, looking at her seriously "He's just giving Lindsay a ride home. There's nothing he can do for Don just by sitting here, right now we all just have to wait"

Ronnie pulled her knees up to her chest, knowing her friend was right "Yeah well"

He glanced at her, she looked so tired and vulnerable, he suspected that she didn't let people see this side often.

"Come on, he's going to be fine. He's a Flack, and if I know you then your family can handle anything" smiled Adam

Ronnie shot him a wry look "You think?"

He gave her a meaningful look back "Yeah I do"

She shifted slightly in her seat and nudged him with her shoulder "Thanks buddy"

He put an arm around her and ruffled her hair "There's that 'thanks' word again, I thought I warned you about this manners thing"

She laughed and shut her eyes, feeling sleep coming over her, she let out a faint yawn mentally willing her brother to wake up soon.

* * *

Danny rapped on the door to the lab and when he got no answer he came in, he nodded in greeting at Adam.

"Hey"

Adam muttered a distracted 'hello' in return, what with Ronnie still at the hospital waiting for her brother to come around, that day he had double the workload.

"I just came for my tox results" said Danny

Adam gestured to a desk loaded with papers "On top of that pile, don't knock it over"

Danny got his print out and glanced at it with a satisfied nod then he looked at Adam "I'm going over to see Don at the hospital, Ronnie still there?"

Adam now looked at Danny "That's a bad idea"

"Why?"

The other man sighed "Listen, you're not at the top of Ronnie's list of favourite people, I don't think seeing her would be any help to her right now"

Danny was perplexed "What? Why?"

Adam, knowing how Ronnie felt about people knowing too much about her personal life decided to lie "I don't really know but I do know that she doesn't want to see you, it would just upset her"

"Sorry" he added as an afterthought

Danny raised his eyebrows sympathetically "Dude, don't worry about it" he headed out of the lab and wished there was something he could do for the Flack family.

Then he spotted Ros and Izzy leaving Mac's office and he had an idea; perhaps there was something he could do.

* * *

"Hello?"

George peered anxiously at Don's sisters, she waved her dog Atticus away and invited them in, wishing she'd had time to hide her bump which was more noticeable at that stage in her pregnancy.

Ros glanced around the living room approvingly "It's a nice place you have here, I studied design...this, this is very nice"

Izzy smiled in agreement and crouched down to pet Atticus

"Uh have a seat...Do you all want something to drink?" offered George nervously, she had no idea what the two women were doing there but she suspected they knew about her and Don.

"Honey sit down, we won't bite" said Izzy sweetly then glanced at her older sister "Well, I won't"

George sat down on an armchair opposite them, managing a weak smile.

Ros smirked "Be quiet Isobel" she turned in her seat to face George "Listen sweetie, we know that you and Don are having a baby together..."

"He was going to tell you at thanksgiving dinner this weekend but the..." George trailed off sadly, Don still wasn't out of hospital

Ros nodded "Yeah he called to arrange" she cleared her throat "We spoke to that Danny Messer and he told us how good you've been to our big lug of a brother and we really appreciate it. I know I do, my brother needs a strong woman to get him sorted out and I couldn't be happier that you're having his child, he really cares about you"

George smiled genuinely at this "Thank you"

Izzy beamed, her blue eyes flashing warmly "It's so great that you two are back together too after everything..."

George's smile faltered and she held onto the arm of her chair "We're not together again"

Izzy's face fell but then she recovered quickly "Oh who cares about that right now, I'm going to be an auntie again!" she leapt up and hugged George happily

Ros smiled warmly, her mind already at work. It was clear to see that George still had feelings for her brother and Don felt exactly the same, they would be perfect together if only they...or someone else could sort them out. Her smile widened, she was just the person for the job.

* * *

Stella smiled to herself, standing outside Don's door, she could hear the detective loudly arguing with his sister about what movie to watch on the television in his room.  
Flashing a smile at Don's nurse as she exited, Stella walked into the room and beamed at the two siblings.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear your voice" she said to Don, pleasantly surprised to find him awake and in a brighter mood then when she'd last seen him. Some of his colour had returned too and he didn't look quite so washed out by the pale hospital gown he was wearing.

He laughed, wincing slightly at the pain in his side "Well come over here and give me some love then"

Stella smiled and went over to his bed, hugging him gently "You've been looking after him then?" she said and then moved on to embrace Ronnie, sitting down on an empty chair when she'd done so

Ronnie grinned "Yeah, he knows that I know what's good for him and watching Baywatch definitely ain't one of those things"

Stella handed the box of chocolates she had brought to Ronnie "Then I guess you better check that these are safe"

The younger sister eyed them greedily "Uh...yeah...I think I will"

Don scoffed, knowing Ronnie fully intended to eat them all by herself, he looked at Stella "So what have I missed at work? Anything good?"

Stella shook her head "Nope, not at all. All your paperwork and your schedule will be waiting for you when you get back"

He groaned and smiled good naturedly "Some things never change"

They started discussing work when there was a rap at the door, Ronnie put on a high girly voice "Who is it?"

Don exchanged a wry look with Stella "She's crazy, like certifiable crazy"

George peered around the door and looked at them shyly "Hey everyone"

"Hey George" chorused Stella and Ronnie

"Come in" said Don, happy to see George, he thought, thinking how adorable she looked in her many layers to protect herself from the outside frost. Something which his sister in her black short skirt, matching turtle neck and black boots didn't seem all that aware of.

Ron gave Stella a pointed look "Hey Stella why don't we go check these chocolates are on the level?"

Stella smirked "Right. Later Flack, get back to work soon"

Ronnie affectionately ruffled her brother's hair and then left with Stella, taking the chocolates along.

"What was that about?" asked George, coming over to his bedside

He rolled his eyes "Never mind" then he brightened "Hows my kid doing?"

She rubbed her stomach absently "Brilliantly. How are you?"

Don shrugged as best he could "Been better"

"I've been worried about you y'know. When I heard what happened, I thought is this kid going to have a father or what?" she was smiling but she was clearly still concerned about him, he took her hand and held onto it, brushing his thumb over her skin

"Always. I'm fine, you can see that" he told her insistently

"Yeah I know but still...close call"

He met her eyes and had an overwhelming urge to kiss her "I missed you while I was in here" he said gently

George looked down at his hand then at him "I have to tell you something"

His brow furrowed at her expression, she moved away from him and sat down on the chair that Stella had occupied only moments ago.

"What's this about?"

George took her bright blue beret off her curls and held it in her hands, wringing it nervously "Remember that guy you saw outside my ante natal class? The 'suit' as you called him"

"What about him?"

George wondered how she was going to tell Don what she had to say, she suddenly regretted coming over. Perhaps it wasn't the best time, especially in Don's condition.

"We...Orson is..." she paused nervously then decided to get it over with

"We were married once...it was when I was much younger, I was just starting out in the foce and Orson was getting more attention for his work...and he got a contract to work in France but I didn't want to leave so I decided to stay...but we didn't have to get divorced because apparently on the way to the honeymoon in Brazil we didn't sign the right papers so technically we weren't really married..." she trailed off, realising she was rambling

Don stared at her "Wait, a minute, back up. Are you serious? You were _married_ to that guy?"

She nodded "It was only for three years"

"Three years?" he exclaimed, feeling incredibly stupid. Here he'd been having delusions that maybe she was starting to trust him again when that really wasn't the case at all. If she'd really trusted him she would have told him about her marriage a long time ago.

"I mean we...were young and my parents really wanted us to marry on account of who Orson's father is. It wasn't...I don't know. I mean...I did love him but it wasn't enough so we...got the marriage annulled" she said faintly

"Why are you only telling me this now? I thought you and I were getting on..." he sighed "I can't believe I'm hearing this"

"I guess I didn't think it mattered anymore. It was way back in my past."

Don's brow furrowed further "Then why is this guy back here? I thought you said he was living in France?"

"Yeah...well he's back now. We had dinner...and he said...he's willing to move back here. If I want"

"Oh. Do ya?"

"Orson...well he's always been there for me when I needed him and now that I'm having this baby. I just really need someone I can rely on, someone I can trust completely"

"And you think you can trust him but not me. Is that it?" said Don flatly

George shrugged miserably "Of course I do. You're the father of my baby but...Orson...well maybe he's more ready to be responsible than you are"

He took offence at this "Hey I am trying"

"I know you are" she said gently "But I can't wait for that forever"

"What about us?" he said finally

She exhaled "Thats exactly my point. We're never going to work out and every time we try...something gets in the way"

"So you're taking the easy way out?" he muttered sullenly

George stood up "I just want to do right by this child"

Don fell silent, clearly he wasn't ready to talk to her yet.

She looked at the floor "I'm going to go. I have to be at work" she gazed at him sadly "Get better alright?"

"Yeah"

George walked out of the hospital room, feeling completely down. She hadn't meant to tell Don as much as she had but she hadn't been able to help herself. She was tired of him coming late to doctor's appointments or not showing up at all. The first time she'd felt the baby kick, she'd called him, knowing it was his day off and he was out with his friends. It was much harder than she'd thought facing up to the idea that she would be a single mother and Orson was offering to be there for her where Don couldn't. She knew that the detective worked just as hard as he played and he deserved to have a life, which was another reason why she was drawn to Orson. She and Don both knew that he wasn't quite ready to be a father but Orson was.

* * *

Ronnie scooped up her nephew Gabe, kissing his curly black hair, he wriggled free and she watched him run off to play with his brother Nate.

"Your kids are so great" she said as Ros joined her on the patio with two ice teas, the two sisters were both enjoying a relatively lazy lunch hour in Ros' expansive back garden on two deck chairs, facing the sun. Ros had called Ronnie over, knowing that her sister was troubled by something and knew that even if a measly hour at lunch time wasn't much 'quality time' it would at least be some time where Ros could try and find out what was on her baby sister's mind.

"Yeah well you can have 'em" smirked Ros, handing Ronnie her drink "Or some of your own"

Ronnie rolled her blue eyes "Please! And ruin this figure, no way no how. Besides, it's not like I'm getting any decent offers"

"Yeah right, you get hit on by everyone. My gay hairdresser said he would turn straight for you! I don't understand it myself, you've got no breasts to speak of and your butt is too small" teased Ros sipping her tea

"Ouch! Leave me alone" said Ronnie mock wincing "I'm just grateful I didn't 'inherit' mom's hips"

Ros arched an eyebrow "Poor Izzy then. She did"

They shared a conspiratorial laugh and watched Ros' son's playing on the plastic jungle gym that Ros' husband had set up.

"Anyway, what happened with you and Nikolai?" asked Ros after a while, lazily twirling the diamond tennis bracelet around her wrist

"He kept buying me stuff, I just wasn't into to him. I thought he knew that" she said with a sigh

"Poor you, having a famous boxer buy you gifts. Last gift Colin brought me was a mail order lingerie catalogue and that wasfree" laughed Ros

Ronnie wrinkled her nose "It just...I don't think I want to be in another 'serious' relationship. It's too much hassle. I'm just going to have fun. You have one life right? So I'll live it"

Her sister eyed her knowingly "If that was what you really wanted then I'd be happy for you... but I know you and you're a die hard romantic. Deep down"

At her sister's scornful expression she added "Very, very, very, very deep down"

Ronnie scoffed "I think you want to have this conversation with Izzy"

"Don't let Danny Messer get to you like Stuart Grant did"

Ronnie's eyes flashed warningly "I don't want to talk about that"

Ros nodded and sighed, smoothing down her navy dress suit as she sat up "Alright honey. Why don't I get us a refill?"

Ronnie shrugged "Yeah, fine"

"Already taken care of"

The two women looked up and smiled at Colin; Roslyn's husband, a tall handsome African-American man who had the same impeccable smart dress sense as his wife.

He placed down a fresh cool jug of iced tea and lowered down to kiss his wife, Ronnie smiled at this display of affection.

"Hello Veronica, it's been a while" said Colin, squeezing Ronnie's hand "You look great as usual, I love the blonde"

Ronnie flicked her newly dyed hair happily and winked at Ros "You have got a real charmer here"

Colin's eyes twinkled "Excuse me ladies, I've got two boys to say hello to" he headed down the garden to greet his sons.

"So you don't want this then? Kids, a husband...or a wife. Ever?" said Ros lightly

Ronnie smirked "Maybe a wife" then she shook her head "Nah, marriage...is not for me"

* * *


	30. Yuletide Musings

**A/N: Remember all that talk about spanners?...I wasn't joking! Also, I know that some of the plots in the story might seem pretty obvious but the outcomes WILL (fingers crossed) surprise you, so hold steady and please review each new chap!**

**Thanks for your patience.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"Adam Ross, this is...your life!"

The gathered crowd of friends and well wishers cheered loudly as the chagrined looking lab tech was handed a bright red scrapbook which contained a collection of items from every stage of his life

"To Adam Ross and Christmas, merry Christmas everyone!" exclaimed Adam's best friend

Adam rolled his eyes and opened the book, his eyes widening in alarm as he saw a picture of himself as a baby wearing nothing but a charming grin and a stetson.

"I cannot believe the stuff you have in here Lucas" he muttered to his friend

Lucas laughed impishly "I'll be doing readings from that later" then ran off to grab a drink before Adam could protest

Ronnie looked around the room proudly, the party had worked out really well and she waved at Sheldon who was dancing with Izzy along with nearly all the other guests who had squeezed into Adam's apartment.  
She winked at the birthday boy who tipped his novelty red Santa Claus hat to her and went back to the conversation he'd been having with one of his friends Another glance around the room and she saw the CSI's that she'd managed to coerce to show up for some of the party, she'd personally invited all of them including Lindsay without blinking because she knew that for the most part the group worked together and knew Adam well.

"Hey, Secret Santa time"

She looked up and realised Adam had come over to her, he was holding a red small box. She eyed him suspiciously

"I'm not going to find a frog in there am I, like at thanksgiving. I so didn't appreciate that Ross"

He winked "Wait and see"

She opened it up and smiled on seeing a small vintage cameo brooch "Aw, this is sweet, this must have cost you a lot. You're a sweetheart"

He smiled as they hugged briefly "Well you did throw my party..."

"That was to get out of having to buy you anything" she grinned and raised her bottle to him "A toast to ..."

"Your float on the Christmas day parade?"

Ronnie smirked, remembering why she was still wearing the 'Mrs. Santa Claus' outfit from the parade, where she and her fellow troupe of dancers had performed in front of thousands on a bright red float, in aid of a local cancer charity.

"Or a rock and roll new year?" he suggested, picking up a drink from the kitchen counter where she sat perched "Merry Christmas Flack"

"Merry Christmas Ross"

They tapped their bottles together and took a deep swig of their drinks, laughing as Adam spilt some of his on his shirt.

"Dance?" she asked smirking at him

He rolled his eyes "Hell _no_. Anyway, later Flack, I'm going to get drunk"

"Good plan" she watched him go off then hopped off the counter and made her way past merry party goers to the couch which had been moved right to the back of the room to make some space where people might dance. She found George on the couch, siting quietly on her own, clearly not as cheerful as everyone else.

"Go on, go and get home" said Ronnie with a knowing smile

George lifted her eyebrows, she suspected by how nice Ronnie was being that the young woman didn't know about her and Orson yet "I'm fine, I'm having fun...I love Christmas"

"You're Jewish!" grinned Ronnie "Look, I know that you don't know everyone here, I just invited you to make up numbers anyway"

George snorted "Gee thanks"

The blonde smirked "You go and rest up at home, I bet Atticus misses you anyway"

George stood up beaming "Is it sad that I don't mind having a dog as my best friend?"

Ronnie pulled an expression of mock-shiftiness "Uh no...not sad. At all"

The two women laughed and then hugged after which George quickly left, wishing everyone a merry Hanukkah on her way out while Ronnie returned back to her post at the kitchen and continued to hand out drinks.

* * *

Danny gazed around the room, only able to name small cluster of the guests because they were also lab techs or related to Ronnie, most of the party goers were friends of Adam's. As for the party in question, it was a good party as far as they went, especially the Christmas themed decoration which was tasteful and aptly thematic but not over the top. Still, he was starting to get bored of the DJ who insisted on playing heavy 80's rock instead of something current and watching some of the couples at the party, he was starting to wish he wasn't single that Christmas. 

"You look like you're having fun" teased Lindsay wearing a pretty camisole and jeans

Danny glanced at her appreciatively then and noticed she had her coat over her arm.

"Where you off to?"

"I booked early..._Montana_" she said with a smirk

He held his bottle up to her "Alright Merry Christmas then. Who was your secret Santa?"

"George...I got her and the baby matching 'I Love New York' teeshirts"

"Cute" he raised his eyebrows and looked up at the ceiling then down at her with an impish twinkle in his eyes

"Mistletoe" she said blushing

Ronnie watched Lindsay and Danny exchange a brief chaste kiss on the cheek under some mistletoe before Lindsay left the party. She realised now that she wasn't jealous anymore, she was tired of worrying about Danny, all she really wanted was to have a much better new year.

Adam walked over to her, slightly unsteady on his feet and clutching yet another bottle "Flack, I think you and I must fool these schools...did I say that right?"

She grinned, purposefully moving her mind off Danny "School these fools?"

"That's what I said! Anyway, lets fool these schools...show 'em how to dance" he held out his hand, his pale blue eyes twinkling mischievously "Shall we?"

Chuckling wryly, Ronnie took his hand and let him move her over to the makeshift dance floor, where he surprised her by being a much better dancer than she'd expected. As the music changed some people stopped to watch the two dancing, clapping and cheering Adam's name as he moved.

Ronnie laughed to herself, knowing that if the normally quiet and reserved Adam hadn't had as much as he had to drink then he would never be up there dancing with her, no matter how good he might have been.

Ronnie finally left Adam to dance with some of his friends and went over to the door where Izzy was waiting for Sheldon to come from the bathroom.

* * *

"Leaving already? You're so boring these days, remember when you and I used to sneak out and go to all night raves? They used to call you Izzy Instant because they'd plan a party and you'd be there... 

"In an instant! I know" drawled Izzy with a laugh "That was a lame nickname"

Ronnie smiled "So you and Sheldon then, it's serious?"

Izzy blushed "We're just together because it's Christmas and what with Don in hospital and Ros in Aspen with Colin and the kids, I thought I'd spend time with someone I really like. What's the problem?"

"Yeah right, look at you, you're so into him" teased Ronnie "By the way, nice dress"

Izzy spun around in her embroidered black dress, laughing "So anyway, did you happen to actually read that 'This Is Your Life' book that Adam was given?"

"Nup. Why?"

Izzy pulled her in closer so that no one over heard them and because the music was loud "You're his perfect woman!" she hissed excitedly

Ronnie burst out laughing and it took a few moments for her laughter to subside "Wow. Maybe you should bring that incense you're always burning down to the lab...have me check it out. Coz it's had some strange effect on you"

Izzy smacked her sister's arm "I'm serious! Wait here and I'll show you!" she hurried off to into the crowd, leaving a chuckling Ronnie then returned waving Adam's book, she opened it to a page where there a small scrap of worn, yellowing paper had been stuck in and dated.

"This is a list he made when he was in college..."

Ronnie snickered "And Don's always saying I'm the crazy one in the family"

Izzy persisted on "This list is of the ultimate six things Adam's perfect woman would have, **1;** Good with cars, **2;** Must love Led Zeppelin, **3;** Know all the words to 'You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch, **4;** Love comic books, **5;** Should know how to cook the perfect soufflé and or other pretentious food **6;** Ability to do the splits and or a handstand. _Vital_" she finished smugly "Boom! That's you"

"One; Adam is my friend and a good one at that, he would have said something if he's interested. Two; that sounds like he wrote that when he was _very_ drunk, three; it was in _college_. Four; that could be any woman in New York, hell it might be _you_...ish" she paused and frowned slightly

"Plus I-I don't read comics" argued Ronnie, although thinking about it, she had to admit it was a very precise coincidence

Izzy spotted Sheldon coming over "Look, I have to go in a second but this is not a coincidence this is fate he's such a good guy and you're close already so it would be perfect and everyone in the family knows you read comics, we found them under your bed"

Ronnie gasped "That's supposed to be a secret! I don't want everyone thinking I'm lame"

"Too late" snorted Izzy "Anyway that's not the point the point is..."

Ronnie hugged her sister, cutting her off mid-flow and chuckling faintly "Alright honey, merry Christmas"

Izzy sighed "It's kismet!" she tried again startling Sheldon as he joined them

Ronnie rolled her eyes and looked at Sheldon "Don't let her have any more egg nog. Merry Xmas" she said and waved them off, closing the door after the couple then returned to the party.

She shook her head as she watched Adam dancing away, there was no doubt in her mind that they were better off friends and she believed he thought that too. Besides after what had happened with Danny what she needed was not another relationship but a real friend and that Adam certainly was.

* * *

Stella raised her eyebrows and peered over the counter at Mac, surprised to find him working the bar at Cozy's. 

"What are you doing here?" she said with a faint chuckle

"Helping a friend out. He wanted to spend boxing day with his family so I offered to help" said Mac smiling back

She pulled up a stool, noticing there were not many customers in the bar but they all seemed to be having a better time than her.

"What about you? Thought you'd be at home" he commented lightly, it was midday on boxing day and the last place he expected Stella to be was hanging around in an old jazz bar

Her eyes flickered at this and she forced a smile "Yeah, I didn't really feel like sitting around in that apartment all day"

"What's your poison?" he asked, changing subject

Her smile increased "Stella" she said with a wink

Mac smirked "Stella it is"

He handed Stella her beer of choice and went back to mopping the counter, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was deep in thought and it didn't take a scientist to guess what was troubling her.

"This place will be closing, I hear there's a new George Clooney movie and you're a fan. Wanna go with me?" he offered casually

Stella gave him an odd look and started to smile again "You don't have to babysit me Mac, I'm fine"

"I'm your friend Stella" he said simply "Just looking out for you"

She nodded, deeply thankful "Okay. Let's go"

* * *

Adam shot a glance around his place and let out a small groan, it was a complete mess, he had no idea how he was supposed to be able to tidy the place up, he suspected that a lot of the mess was down to his friends some of him were in a band and very much used to all night parties and he half blamed Ronnie for organising the party which although it had been fun, would be a nightmare to clean up. 

Yawning he pushed some empty beer cans from the couch and slowly folded himself up on it, the tidying would have to come later, at the moment he had a raging hangover and that took priority.

Ronnie sat up with a shot, then winced as her head started thudding painfully. She was hungover and had no idea whose room she was in. Peering under the pale blue covers she was enveloped in, she was thankful that she was still in the 'Mrs' Santa Clause outfit she'd worn the night before. All that was missing were her boots.  
Sliding out of the bed, she spotted her boots in the far corner of the faded wood floor by a large window and picked them up, on the shelf of the window was her purse. A quick peek inside told her that all her money and cards were still there.  
After putting the boots back on she crept out of the room and it was only when she got into the lounge that she remembered where she was.

_"Ross!"_

Adam sat up slowly, clutching his head "What, are, you, doing!" he hissed at whoever had woken him up and peered at the offender through slitted eyes

"Sorry" said Ronnie sheepishly and lowering her voice "I'm just really confused...err...what happened last night?"

He furrowed his brow and lay back down "I can't remember anything past eleven thirty" he muttered with a yawn

She sighed and sat on the edge of the coffe table "I mean...coz I woke up in your room so..."

Adam rolled his eyes "Relax Flack" he gave her a pointed look "Nothing happened, you fell asleep in there so I got lumped with the couch which by the way would not have happened if you were a guy. I would have turfed you out"

Smiling she nodded and glanced around the room "This place looks like crap"

"Thanks"

"Need help tidying up?"

"What in your Santa outfit?"

"Okay, I get it, not very practical gear I'm wearing. Can I borrow something?"

Adam turned to face her "It's just take, take, take with you isn't it?"

"Ross..."

"My clothes are in drawers under my bed. Go nuts"

"Oh and any aspirin?"

"In the bathroom, second door on the left. By the way, someone threw up in the hall closet..."

"Gross"

"I know"

She thanked him and headed off to get changed. When she returned, she was wearing one of his white tank tops, knotted off just at her midriff, a pair of his jeans that hung loose at her hips but thankfully stayed up and a pair of flip flops she'd found that were too big but they would do.

"See that never looked as good on me" he noted with a raised eyebrow at her outfit

Ronnie grinned and struck a quick pose "What can I say, I'm working it"

Adam scoffs, turning away and casting a discerning eye at what work they would have to do "Well this is a nightmare. I don't even know where to start"

Ronnie decided to take charge instead "Alright Ross, you take kitchen I'll work the lounge and we can both deal with the disgusting mess in the bathroom"

George lifted her head from her paperwork, bored out of her mind. She was now on desk duty and no amount of whining to her chief would get him to let her back out on the beat. Glancing up as her partner Jamie strolled in along with a couple of other detectives. The woman was leading a handcuffed man in and after handing him over to a uniformed detective she came over to her and George's work station, eyeing her co worker with an affectionate smile.

* * *

"I can't believe that the minute we start working together you get pregnant. So bloody selfish" 

George rolled her eyes "Urgh...I miss it out there. Hows life?"

"Oh...really dull" lied Jamie, sitting down and placing her legs on the desk. Unlike George she was much more fashion concious and loud but in the brief time they'd worked together the two women had gotten along very well.

"I'm not _stupid_" sighed George "Truth"

_"It was amazing!"_ said Jamie brightly "That bloke I brought in is a major dealer, me, Wagner, Richmond and Temple just busted him and his entire gang of scumbags. I felt like a real, cheesy New York detective yelling FREEZE! NYPD!" she giggled, running a hand through her bobbed brown hair

"Ah those were the days. Man. Desk duty sucks. I feel like I've done something wrong rather than I'm just pregnant" muttered George

Jamie smirked "Ah love cheer up. Pregnancy's a breeze, my brother's wife popped out six little ones, one after the other and she still manages to run a five star catering company"

George laughed "Yeah well I'm planning on this one being the last one for a long while"

Jamie was about to respond when she glanced up and spotted a delivery boy carrying a large bunch of flowers that were almost as big as he was.

"Woah. Whose the lucky lady?" she wondered amusedly and then yelled across the room to another detective "Hey Temple! Those from your gentleman friend?"

The detective in question flipped her off good naturedly and returned to his write up. George looked dubiously at the delivery boy as he stared at her intently for a few seconds then walked straight over, smiling brightly.

"Georgina Wheil?"

George flushed, knowing Jamie was smirking "Uh yeah? What's this about?"

"These are for ya" he said and stuck the flowers out at her, George accepted them as the boy left. Then she peered at the gold framed card that came with the flowers, ignoring the catcalls from some of her fellow officers.

"From Orson" she said at Jamie's look "He's organising a banquet at my parents house on New Years eve and he's inviting the Senator"

"Oooh. Sounds omnious" said Jamie wiggling her eyebrows "Does Flack know you've got a bit on the side?"

George sighed "None of his business really. Is it?"

Jamie smirked again but wisely said nothing more.

* * *

Danny put down his coffee cup and glanced at his watch "So, yeah, that's it" 

Louie whistled, still not in great shape after his attack but still as cocky and confident as ever "If you ask me, I don't see what the problem is. You got two hot women after ya and you're complaining? Geez, you're no brother of mine"

Danny smirked and looked up at the ceiling of the hospital canteen, grimacing at seeing a piece of decaying gum, before looking back at his brother "Well, it's not right on either one of them, I just...can't decide"

"But you split with the Veronica chick right?" asked Louie forking a piece of his pudding on it's plastic tray

"Yeah, but I still see her at work, just like I see Lindsay, only problem is that Veronica hates my guts well she might as well the way we never speak anymore and I don't think Lindsay's looking for a relationship" sighed Danny

"A relationship?" snickered Louie "You really must be adopted. Look at it this way, which one puts out?"

Danny pretended not to have heard him "I'm so glad I had this conversation with you" he muttered sarcastically

Louie smiled faintly "Alright listen" he slicked his dark hair back and looked seriously at his younger brother "It sounds to me like you already know which one of these girls you really wanna be with and you just want to be sure. So talk to them both, for real and then you'll know"

Danny was surprised by his brother's advice on his relationships, normally he would have expected a 'love em and leave em' approach but Danny supposed the attack had made Louie more contemplative and serious about life.

"Or y'know have em both on the side until you're sure" said Louie with an impish grin


	31. The Lovers And Fighters

**A/N: Alright, that's it till oh...Tuesday? Just getting the New Years and Christmas parts out of the way...Thanks for the support and patience.**

**Remember to review and...**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Adam and Ronnie surveyed the now sparkling clean apartment, it was much later in the day near four when they finally finished tidying and both were starving.

"Good job Ross, I never knew you were quite so handy with a duster" said Ronnie nudging her friend with her elbow

He smirked "Funny. Christ, I'm hungry. Is there anything in the fridge?" he wandered over into his kitchen and peered miserably into his refrigerator

Still in the living room, Ronnie piped up "Well, anything?"

"Left over birthday cake?" he called back

"Good enough"

Adam returned with the tray of birthday cake and two bottles of soda, setting them down on his worn wooden coffee table and joining Ronnie on the couch.

"Dinner is served madame" he said dryly and handed her a slice

They ate in amicable silence, relaxing after their day of tidying up.

"Thanks by the way, for the whole party thing...it had the mark of a true Veronica Flack party" said Adam, ruffling his short curly hair

Ronnie stretched her legs, wiggling her toes to get the blood moving in them again "Thanks for not laughing at my Santa Claus outfit...to my face anyway"

"My pleasure. Anyway, what are you getting up to tomorrow?" he glanced over at her

She shrugged "Probably catch up on my sleep. You?"

"Very much the same" he reached under the sofa and pulled out the red 'This Is Your Life' book that his friends had made him.

"God this thing is humiliating" muttered Adam, flicking through some of the pages

"I think the best part of last night was when Lucas showed everyone that picture of you at graduation _mooning_ your principal" giggled Ronnie

"I don't think Principal Toro appreciated that it was merely a way of self expression" he said loftily before doubling up

"You sound like you were such a terror when you were in high school" teased Ronnie prodding his foot with hers

"Yeah but I grew up...unlike _some_ people" he pointed out jokingly

She scoffed "Just keep reading that book boy"

Adam turned to the page where his 'Perfect Woman' list was and chuckled sheepishly, noticing her curious expression "This is such a stupid list"

Ronnie wiggled her eyebrows "It is. Yet my hippy sister Izzy is convinced that it means you and I are meant to be"

"Whoa. What?" he laughed "_You _and me?"

He kept laughing "That's ridiculous!"

She pouted indignantly "It's not _that_ out there, I'm a good looking gal"

Adam snorted "Yeah, I _know_...it's just...we're way too different"

Wondering why his reaction surprised her, Ronnie took the book from his hands "Look, here everything on this list, I am or can do, down from the Zepplin love to the excellent cooking"

"Even the comic book reading? I always _knew_ you had nerdish leanings underneath that layer of tough talk and big hair"

"Big hair?! I _don't _have big hair!"

"Alright! You don't have big hair! Anyway, tell me about this comic book love"

"My _appreciation _of the 'graphic novel'...started with Wonder Woman and ever since dressing up as her for a costume party I was hooked...anyway I mean, according to this list. I'm your perfect woman"

"No! First of all, we have no chemistry aside from the work we do in the lab..."

"Oh god and you're _not _funny"

"_You're_ annoying and _loud_"

"_I'm _annoying? Mr. Pretentious Brooding Intellectual?"

"Some women like that!"

"Not this one" grinned Ronnie and put the book down on the coffee table "I guess I'll have to tell my sister not to buy a hat for the wedding yet"

Adam snickered "Shame that" he glanced at his wristwatch "It's nearly five, you know what...let's go bowling? It's like half off the day after Christmas"

She ruffled her blonde hair, now undone from it's ponytail "Yeah. Why not? Can we stop at my place first though? I'd much rather be in my own clothes"

He snorted derisively "You and clothes. How do you afford it all anyway on a lab tech salary?"

"Five finger discount" she said without batting an eyelid

He looked at her suspiciously "Why am I not finding it hard to believe that?"

* * *

An hour later, redressed in snug jeans and a pale pink button up top, Ronnie was flexing her arms, preparing to bowl.

"Just play Flack! Goddamn!" said Adam, getting annoyed by her procrastinating

She stuck her tongue out at him and bowled, making a clean strike, then doing a little dance when she saw what she'd done.

"Ace! We'll beat those kids yet...if I get this shot" he said referring to a group of four college students that somehow they were involved in a 'bowl off' with.

Ronnie gave him a high five and sat down on the pleather chairs in front of their lane, Adam stretched briefly, clearly mimicking Ronnie much to her amusement. Then he grabbed the gleaming orange ball he was to bowl with and ran up to the lane and took his shot.

"STRIKE!" he cheered much to the dismay of the college students, Ronnie leaped up from her seat and hugged her friend

"We kicked ass!" she exclaimed giggling, Adam whooped excitedly and turned to the students "I believe you guys owe us some drinks?" he picked Ronnie up and swung the laughing lab tech around, then suddenly kissed her

Before she could even realise what he'd done, Adam had put her down again and was over at the bar with the students who had good naturedly accepted their loss and were joking with him.

"Flack? Come over here! Free booze" called Adam waving at his friend

She snapped out of her daze, absently running a finger over her lips as she walked over to join him.

* * *

"So what happened?" asked the leggy, platinum blonde Alanna

"Well, we won the game then I made my excuses, grabbed a cab and I ran out of there like a madwoman" groaned Ronnie burying her head in her hands and almost knocking her drink from the slick red marble table

"That bad huh?" smirked Gina, a petite Puerto Rican with an attitude to match Ronnie's but a wild dress sense all her own

She, Ronnie, Alanna, a stunningly attractive African American girl called Michelle and a short haired punky redhead named Darcy were gathered in their favourite nightspot a couple of days after Christmas, generally catching up on gossip.

It was their favourite place to go particularly because it was just outside the dance studio where they all practised together and because it had 'the highest ratio of single attractive _straight_ men to single attractive picky women in the area' as Michelle had once put it.

"No!" sighed Ronnie and pushed a hand through her hair, suddenly reminded of a hair appointment after New Years "It's not that it was bad in fact it was..." she smiled, blushing

"Pretty damn good to get you all red in the face!" laughed Darcy flashing a flirtatious wink to a bartender at the same time

The other girls started laughing "I can't believe he just grabbed you and kissed you?!. Do people really think you're _that _easy?" teased Michelle

"Yeah!" snickered Alanna

"Alright, you can all be quiet _right_ now" protested Ronnie and then tried to explain her situation "It just happened! He probably didn't even give it another thought after it happened but _I_ started thinking about how good he is to me, he...never puts up with my bullshit or lets me down, he always makes me laugh and we fight but it's always good. I always _know_ I can rely on him"

"Awwww!" they all chorused and started laughing again

"See, now I can't stand a nice boy. Bad boys or nothing" mused Gina wistfully "I like a man that can't be tamed"

"Bad boys or_ nothing_? Stop acting like you have standards, you take what you can get" said Michelle with an arched eyebrow

She flicked back her black hair flippantly and turned to Ronnie ignoring the dirty look Gina shot her "Well if he treats you as well as you say and you're close anyway, then what's the problem?"

"Typical Veronica, can't make up her mind about a man to save her life" muttered Alanna with a teasing twinkle in her green eyes

"Hey, leave my girl alone. She doesn't need to be getting serious all of a sudden" quipped Gina she downed the remnants of her cocktail and adjusted her leopard print blouse to reveal more cleavage

"Come on, let's get dancing and get you someone else to distract you about this Adam boy. Let's get you a _man_"

Ronnie shook her head "Nah, I'm tired. I think I'll sit this one out"

"Pfft! Your loss" said Alanna getting up, smoothing down her electric blue mini dress and sashaying onto the dance floor with Gina, gathering a host of admiring looks as they went

"Look, at, those, two, skanks" said Michelle in mock disapproval

Darcy snorted with laughter "Gina may be a skank but she's a skank with a mean left hook, don't let her catch you saying that"

"I love her really, I just can't stand her most of the time" snickered Michelle loudly.

Gina, spotted her two friends laughing and flipped them off, returning to her sultry dancing

Darcy and Michelle began to laugh, sharing a pointed look after a few moments when Ronnie didn't join in the banter.

"Sweetie, you and men. _Bad_ idea. Why don't you lay off them for a while?" suggested Darcy, momentarily distracted by the bar tender who was admiring the flaming star tattoo on her shoulder

"Y'know my problem? Not even _Danny_ kissed like that when he meant it and Adam didn't! He just grabs me and kisses me with his..." she sighed "_Soft_ lips and it's _perfect. _I'm just...confused" whined Ronnie, picking at the olive in her glass

Michelle and Darcy shared another look, before Michelle decided to take charge "Alright listen, if you don't want a relationship with Adam then why the fuss?"

Ronnie popped the olive in her mouth, brightening a little "Yeah...I guess you're right. It's just...he's my friend and friends should never be able to kiss like _that! _I guess the problem is that I liked it so much...but I don't want anything and now he thinks I freaked out and I'm avoiding him which I _am_ doing but only because..."

"Stop right there!" said Darcy cutting her friend off, she slipped the heels she'd discarded under the table back on "Come on, those two skanks were right. Let's just get dancing and forget about this, it's the damn holidays after all"

"Besides, you are getting real dull" said Michelle good naturedly

Ronnie shot her a dirty look which the taller girl ignored, choosing instead to grab Ronnie's hand and lead her and Darcy down onto the dance floor.

* * *

**NEW YEARS EVE**

"Happy New Year _my ass_! This is not the way I wanted to spend the eve of 2007, in fact I planned to be sunning myself on the beach with a couple of limber and _very _easy...going Hawaiian beauties called..."

"Sid" interrupted Mac sternly

The pathologist cleared his throat "Right uh...where was I?..."

He returned to explaining the cause of death for the cadaver he had lying on a gleaming metal gurney before him and Mac.

"The tox results aren't in..."

"Here!" called Ronnie bursting into the morgue and startling the rest of the people also working that New Years eve

She swept over to Mac and Sid, her lab coat flapping behind her and handed the results to the pathologist

"Great timing" he noted, arching an eyebrow and giving her a pointed look

She sighed and fished in her pocket then handed him a ten dollar bill, flashed a smile at Mac and then promptly left again.

"What was that about?" asked Mac

"Oh nothing, just a little bet" replied Sid in such a way that Mac decided that perhaps he didn't want to know what the bet was for

"How is Stella?" asked Sid once he'd read the tox results for Mac

"Coping. Really well actually" replied Mac "I just hope she continues on that way"

"She will. With friends like you" said Sid

"I'm just looking out for her"

"Of course"

Mac thought there was a knowing look in the man's eye but he decided that with Sid, it was best not to ask too many questions especially when you already knew the answers.

* * *

Persephone eyed her younger sister "As the second eldest child I would have expected much better...you can't seriously be wearing _that._ I thought I taught you better"

George sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she thought in her jeans and the pretty smock top she was wearing that she looked quite nice.

"I think it's fine, there's nothing else I can wear now I'm knocked up" muttered George to her sister's reflection

Persephone who was also pregnant and married to a hotshot Jewish businessman of whom her parents definitely approved of; looked perfectly coiffed with her blonde hair in a neat up do and was resplendent in a pale yellow chiffon Chloe creation.

"George, I'm nearly eight months and I can pull this off. You have to put a _little _effort in"

"Why?" whined George "It's not a big deal"

"You know it is!" exclaimed Corrine the youngest of the Wheil sisters and the most rebellious, with her blonde Mowhawk, illegally obtained tattoos and piercings. For the occasion she was wearing a puffy red prom dress over black scuffed Doc Martens and torn fishnets with an 'ironic' tiara.

"Oh stay out of this little fish" smirked Persephone teasing her sister "I just think that George ought to look her best. This is a party ofter all isn't it"

"So it isn't at all because Orson Moneybags Gould is proposing. Again. Is it?" smirked Corrine, flopping down on the bed that Persephone was using for the night "Well he might be the son of a capitalist greed monger but...at least he's hot" she said reflectively

"Again Corr, be quiet and get those boots off my bed!" snapped Persephone to Corrine who rolled her eyes but did as her sister had asked

"Georgina, this is _your _night. Yours and Orson's night, you have to make some effort"

George sighed "He's not proposing is he?"

Persephone smiled brightly, ignoring her sister's question "Let's get you into some Roland Mouret huh? Then I'll get my hairdresser down here"

George caught Corrine's eye and mouthed _help_, her little sister shrugged apologetically.

An hour later dressed in a silk burgundy gown designed by Marchesa and borrowed from Persephone, her hair primped and done up with the diamond necklace that Orson had brought her for Christmas; George, Corrine, Persephone and her husband were being chauffeur driven from Persephone and Douglas' home to one of New York's most important society events. The exact kind of expensive, overly formal and pretentious events that George and especially Corrine hated. This was only further confounded by the fact that the event was hosted by their parents every new year.

They pulled up outside the Wheil's expansive estate and deeply dreading what was waiting for her, George headed inside.

"Gee!" squealed Margot, she was the third eldest of the Wheil sisters and the most high maintenance with an obsession with pink that bemused George

"You're _huge!_ I'm still the thinnest sister!" she giggled by way of greeting and air kissed George as they met in the as yet empty ballroom that would be used for the party

"Probably because you can't eat much what with that stick stuck up your..." started Corrine only to be interrupted by Melissa, yet another blonde sister

"Don't start Corr, hey George. Where's Orson?" she said smiling, on her arm a much older man; her husband, he greeted the sisters then went off in search of a bathroom in the massive house. George quietly wondered why her parents were accepting of Melissa's relationship with a man nearly thirty years her senior but they couldn't have been so kind towards her when they first found out she was pregnant.

"Don't know" shrugged George "Can we eat yet?"she watched with a faint smile as Corrine started po-going across the ballroom in her puffy gown, purposefully irritating the waiters who were bustling around in preparation of the event.

"Nope Valerie will kill anyone who touches the food, she's been working on this day with the events planner since _last year's _bash" smirked Melissa, referring to the fifth youngest sister, just a little older than Corrine

"Yeah, she's mom's new favourite pet. That was you last year" said Melissa then at George's look she hastily added "Well...at least they're talking to you now!"

"New favourite pet after _Margot _of course since she's engaged to that stock broker" smiled Persephone "Saves me the hassle. Though of course I could organise this party in my sleep. Pregnant or no" her husband had also left the group so he could smoke a cigar outside

"You're engaged to _Barry_ the orthodontist with the greasy hair?" snickered Melissa, flicking her blonde hair back

"He just knows how to take care of himself unlike _some people"_ sniped Margot, folding her arms crossly

"Yeah the rest of us could only _dream _of wearing suits that are 99.9 flammable and the other 0.1 _ugly_"

"_Don't_ start on me! God, at least some of us don't look so _heinous _no one will propose to them you Wal-Mart _freak!_"

"Oh why don't you just go and get another nose job!"

There was a gasp from Margo "Bitch! How dare you!"

Persephone sighed wearily "Children..."

"Don't call us children! Val! Take back what you said!"

George rolled her eyes and wandered away from her sisters leaving them to their gossiping and bitching as she headed into the family library. Sometimes she wondered and sometimes she _wished _she was adopted. Sitting down on a brocaded green chair, George rummaged around in the beaded purse she'd borrowed from Persephone to carry the make up that she hated wearing and found her cell phone.

Pressing speed dial she shut her eyes and hoped there was a response.

"_Flack here. What's your beef?"_

A smile filled her face "You still answer the phone like that?"

"_George?"_

"Yeah it's me. I'm at my parent's new years eve banquet, family and friends. Except their 'friends' happen to be like some liver spotted who's who of rich New Yorkers"

"_Ha!. Sorry...sucks"_

She could hear laughter in the background and music, it sounded as if he was having more fun than she was.

"Yeah. So...um..where are you?"

"_Just a family party...why are you calling? Is there uh something wrong?"_

"N-n-no. I just...wanted to talk to you. To apologise for not telling you about Orson earlier. He's actually at the banquet tonight..._my father _invited him."

"_Yeah well. It's no big deal. You're allowed...we both can see who we want. Right?"_

"Uh...yeah. Right"

There was an uncomfortable silence on both sides.

"_Well anyway, Izzy is talking drunkenly about crystals again...I better go intervene. She's scaring Danny"_

"Yeah. Bye"

"_Yeah. Oh and Happy New Year"_

"Right...happy new year"

She hung up and sighed miserably. It was officially cleared up and over the phone no less. She and Don were both free to move on from each other. With a sudden sense of determination she stroked her stomach pensively. If he was happy with things the way they were then so was she, it was time for both parties to get on with their lives. Just because they were having a baby together did not mean they would have to be a couple in love. 'Love is for the birds' thought George, thinking of what her father had said to her once. Don wasn't interested but Orson was. She stood up.

So that was that.

* * *

Standing in the nearly empty staff canteen and waving his hand in front of Ronnie's head Adam wondered if the now brunette lab tech couldn't hear him under the noise of her headphones or she was _deliberately_ ignoring him. He guessed the latter.

Tugging the headphones from her ears he sat down at her table,

"Hey!" she protested snatching them back from him

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked seriously, fixing her with an endearing blue eyed stare

"I'm-I'm not!" she sputtered and got up, forgetting about her plate of pasta salad then briskly started out of the canteen. He followed her out, still trying to get her attention this time by loudly singing 'Stairway To Heaven' behind her.

"Stop it!" she hissed and grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt, pulling him into the nearest empty lab

"Well I'm not gonna stop until you start talking to me. It's new years eve and we have to work together, what your deal Flack?" he sighed

"You _kissed _me" she said, suddenly awkward, she'd _thought _she was over that. Evidently not.

He looked blank "When?!"

Letting go of his shirt lapels, she crossed her arms over her lab coat and looked around the lab, no one was there.

"Day after Christmas. You just grabbed me and kissed me" she said finally

Adam didn't seem convinced, he mimicked her posture "Flack, I think I'd remember if I kissed _you_"

"You'd think!" she said huffily "Bowling? After we won?"

Narrowing his eyes he was about to deny this again when he suddenly remembered and looked sheepish, his expression now apologetic.

"God I'm sorry"

"Yeah!" she said finally and leant back against a desk, exhaling

"Well...I do that to _everyone_ when I get really excited...I didn't even realise" he defended "Spur of the moment thing"

She dipped her head "Really?"

"Yeah...you didn't think it was some poorly thought out pass at you did you? I'm not_ that_ bad at flirting" he smiled good naturedly

Ronnie started to smile "Course not"

Adam placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it affectionately "Good. Next time that happens...not that there will be...feel free to slap me straight"

"Oh don't worry, I will"

"Great! I look forward to it" he smiled sweetly "Seriously, I'm sorry"

Ronnie gave him a brief hug "No hard feelings"

Adam clapped his hands together, moving on "You ready for a kick ass new year's eve?"

She stood up straight, flexing her fingers "Yup! Let's go" she grabbed his arm and they headed off to the locker rooms.

* * *

Danny prodded the various meats on the grill dubiously "I don't have a _clue_ what to do with this crap"

He had joined most of the Flack family on the rooftop of Don's apartment for a new years eve barbecue that night and he had to admit he was enjoying having a quieter celebration instead of the usual drunken hungover where he woke up way past midnight.

"You're doing it all wrong" sighed Ros taking over "Colin baby! Get over here! Put down Gabe and Nate and help me!" she turned to Danny "You mind?"

Danny shrugged jovially "Hey, no skin off my nose. I'm going to grab a beer"

He left the grilling to the bossy Ros and went over to Don who was leaning over the edge of the roof looking down at the city, a beer in one hand.

"Nervous about the baby?" asked Danny wisely, swigging some of his own beer

"This guy just breezes into town and sweeps her off her feet...what am I supposed to do? Do you know they're having some big dinner tonight? With her family? I can't even get her old man to meet me for a coffee!" said Don indignantly

Danny whistled "Sucks"

Don went silent then chuckled "Yeah. Sucks"

"I thought we were on track but you know typical George, can't ever tell what she's thinking" added Don miserably

"It might work out. You never know. I've seen her with you and you guys...you just work"

Danny took another swig and they sat in amicable silence, drinking and watching the streets where other people were celebrating the New Year in their own way.

"Shame Ronnie couldn't be here" said Don finally

Danny agreed then thought of something "Can I ask you somethin'? About her?"

The darker haired of the two glanced at his watch "Sure, I'm nearly drunk anyway. Shoot"

"What happened to her in college?" he hesitated "I ask this, because I figure it's why we broke up. Well some of it anyway, coz I felt like something was hanging over her. Something she wanted to tell me but she couldn't"

Don frowned "Ah...I don't think I should tell you"

"Come on, I just want to know where I went wrong. I won't say anything I swear" he made a mime of 'zipping' his lips shut

Don sighed "Alright. When she was in her first year, some sleaze bag professor Stuart Grant...he made a pass at her, she knocked him back and...he said some real bullshit to her making her think it was her fault. She transferred colleges and just decided that she wasn't going to let anyone treat her like that anymore, she just doesn't trust guys, thinks that they see her as...well the same way that guy did. So she acts just as bad and just as tough as they do. That's why this with you messed her up a little...because she let you in and..." he trailed off pointedly

Danny exhaled miserably and wished he had a cigarette, he looked at Don seriously "I _never _thought of her like that. I mean...why didn't she report the jerk?"

Don shrugged "His word against hers. She thought maybe he was right and she had been giving him mixed signals or some stupid crap like that. Which is why...I was so protective of her. She may act tough but I _know _her...I'm trying to let her go a little but it's hard"

"Why the long faces?" asked Izzy appearing and putting an arm around the shoulder of both men

Danny blinked out of his reverie "Cigarettes. You smoke?"

She shook her head disapprovingly "_You _shouldn't either, polluting your body like that! Your body is a temple and you should respect it"

"She's drunk, ignore her" muttered Don with a smile

Danny smirked "Ignore who?"

They left Izzy to her rambling and went over to grab another beer, Danny was still deep in thought about Ronnie. It certainly explained a lot, her reluctance to go with him on that ill-fated weekend, her secrecy and her unwillingness to confront a problem. She was starting to trust him and he'd gone and blown it spectacularly.

* * *

"He did the mash..." crooned Ronnie, waving her hands in the air

"He did the _monster mash! _The monster mash..." sang Adam in response, scissor kicking as he did

"It was a graveyard smash!"

"He did the mash..."

"It caught on in a flash!"

The two lab techs were dressed in formal wear under their lab coats to get into the spirit of things for the new year and during a self imposed break from their work they had taken it upon themselves to dance to the 'Monster Mash' throwing novelty dance shapes (The monkey, the batman and the twist to name a few) on a couple of bare table tops that had been pulled together to create a makeshift dance floor. Aside from a few other stragglers about the department they were the only people left working the new years eve shift.

Ronnie and Adam doubled up on the table tops, leaning on each other for support as they laughed.

"Mac'll totally kills us if he sees us up here" said Adam between bursts of laughter he hopped off his table and stood in front of Ronnie's reaching his hands up to help her down

"You loved it really" she giggled once she was safely off the table

"How do you drag me into these situations?" he asked laughing

"It's new years eve! Let your hair down Ross" she teased with a wink

"I stole all those sweets for us from the candy machine! I think that's enough letting down of the hair" he rejoined, straightening the white coat over his suit

He looked at her "You're such a bad influence"

"Sit down and get on with your work!" she said in a mock stern voice, then quietly said "_You're _the bad influence" to his loud chuckle

Adam sat down as she'd asked respectively got onto their work which they stuck at for a solid three hours, straightening out all the things that had to be completed for that year. They kept working right up until the alarm that Ronnie had set up on her phone signalled loudly that it was a quarter to midnight.

"Thank _god_. I thought that time was never going to come" said Ronnie

She flung off her lab coat to reveal a shimmery green mini dress and then she started for the door of the room

"Get a move on Ross, we got to get to Times Square in...twelve minutes _on foot_!"

Adam jumped into action, also losing his lab coat and running after his counterpart.

The duo hurried out into the main hall of the department and into the elevator, stopping to wave at the night guard once they got to the ground floor.

Bursting out from the building and into the night, they then ran giggling and laughing still singing 'The Monster Mash'; weaving between cars stuck in traffic, past bars celebrating noisily and towards the center of the action.

* * *

Stella and Mac watched quietly at the view afforded by Mac's office. They could see couples running around the city together, people stumbling out of bars and laughing merrily, they could see roof top parties and the gleaming lights from Times Square but they both knew that there was no other place they would rather be.

"So...in three minutes..." said Mac, exhaling and glancing at Stella

Her eyes sparkled "Yup. Two thousand and seven"

"It's going to be a good one" he said earnestly

Stella nodded and folded her arms around herself "I hope so" she looked at him "For both of us"

Mac sat down on the edge of his desk "You didn't have to stay here and work. You were due a holiday"

Waving her honey brown curls dismissively she sat with him "Yeah but I couldn't stand the idea of _you _being all alone on New Years. You should be with people that care about you"

He noticed her hand on the table and covered it with his "Well I'm glad it's you"

Stella met his eyes and smiled "Me too"

* * *

As the hour came down to the final minute, Don held hugged his sisters and toasted the new year. Despite his best pretences however, he wasn't looking forward to what it would bring. If George chose to stay with Orson then what would that mean for Don their relationship let alone their baby?

* * *

At the same moment in the crowd of fellow New Yorkers; Adam kissed his best friend and this time Ronnie didn't mind at all. This time his kiss meant a lot of different things; a new start, a friend she could trust and rely on and most importantly being able to trust in herself and let go of her past.

* * *

Lindsay in her apartment with her friends; thought of Danny and hoped of a simpler year where she could let go of her past and take charge of a possible future with Danny.

* * *

Sheldon and Izzy although starting a new relationship already felt at ease with each other and as the clock struck twelve and they kissed they looked forward to whatever came next.

* * *

George stood at Orson's arm, knowing how happy it made her family to see her with back with him, as for her, a rather worrying part of her was still unsure about how she felt. She was still thinking of Don and wishing that things had turned out a lot better but still, Orson was here and now and he'd just proposed to her in front of their family and friends and various other esteemed guests and acquaintances. This was her future now.

* * *

Danny thought of the woman he'd chosen as he toasted the new year with his friends and hoped that it wasn't too late for him to be with her.

* * *

Stella leaned in towards Mac, her heart beating fast, every moment had been leading up to this one and there it was. But she couldn't.

She hesitated a split second too long and then the moment was gone. His office doors burst open and a small group of workers loudly singing 'Auld Lang Syne' entered, grabbing the two and wishing them a happy new year.

Mac watched Stella and felt no sadness only relief. This was the sign he'd been waiting for, they just weren't ready for each other.

Not yet anyway, but someday in the future.

He looked back out at the view, smiling to himself and silently wished Stella all the best.


	32. Rejects and Winners

**A/N: THANK YOU for the reviews. See I'm actually on time! I checked the chapter that had the massive blooper in it and that has been resolved and I've gone over this one with a fine tooth comb so hopefully all that's left is something that you my darling reviewers (I'm not sucking up!) must do...**

**Review and...**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

Standing inside the door of his apartment in a blue shirt, black cords and no shoes or socks; Adam peered at Ronnie warily, still holding the science text book he had been studying from. 

"Did I call _you_?" he asked wondering why she had suddenly turned up at his door that weekend when neither of them had work to be at or had made any specific arrangements

"Uhm..._no_" she mumbled and looked at him, she couldn't do it.

She just couldn't.

She started to shake her head, her hair now its natural black, streaming down her shoulders in shimmery waves

"Actually, never mind. I have to go...forget I showed up" she said turning to leave

Adam quickly grabbed the back of her red top and dragged her back into the frame of his open door

"Woah! Talk to me. What's happened?"

He let go of her so she could turn to face him "I have a crush" she said quietly

Adam's expression lightened, he'd thought her problem was something more serious "Oh! Well call up one of your girlfriends. Despite the rumours I ain't so great at matters of the heart" he said brightly

"On you" she mumbled, lowering her blue eyed gaze

"Oh"

He went silent looking at her as if he'd never seen her before, then he started to chuckle, not believing her.

"On me?! _You, Veronica, _have a crush...on _me_?! _Seriously?! _You?"

She groaned in frustration at his reaction and banged her head on the door frame lightly

"Yes! I can't...stop thinking about you. First you were just Adam, my _friend_ with the bad jokes and now you're..._Adam. I guess _I started feeling like that...Ever since New Years"

Suddenly realising she wasn't joking he swallowed, his eyes widening "But...that was..._three weeks ago._ Why haven't you said anything?"

Ronnie shrugged and folded her arms uncomfortably "I think I should leave now. I've embarrassed myself enough"

"Woah, woah woah. Wait" he grabbed the back of her top again and pulled her back in front of him "It's okay! It's okay really" he smiled kindly

"No it isn't" she sighed "It isn't"

"Ronnie, babe, it's a harmless crush on your friend. Everyone gets those sometimes...so don't worry it's just a crush" he said still smiling

She lowered her eyes again "Yeah...well I don't think it _is _just a crush"

"Oh"

Ronnie let out another frustrated groan, turned on her heels and started to walk away and this time he was too stunned to stop her

She walked all the way out of the complex and down to the front steps of the building then sat down and let out a mortified hiss. She couldn't believe what had possessed her to go all the way to her _friend's _apartment and tell him _that_. She blamed her sister Izzy, ever since she'd made that suggestion that Adam and Ronnie might make a good couple _last year_ the idea of it had suddenly gotten under Ronnie's skin, just as Adam had.

"Hi"

She glanced up, covering her eyes from the sun with her hand, she grumbled and turned away.

Adam stood one step up from her, carrying a six pack in one hand, a tub of ice cream and a spoon in the other hand.

He sat down, right beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers and set the ice cream and six pack on the step below them, she started to blush and wished he wasn't so kind to her, it just made her feel worse.

He was her _friend,_ what was she thinking?

Adam leant his head against hers and nudged her, she looked at him, he was smiling at her, at the same time seeming a little nervous but she was too embarrassed to wonder why.

"Don't give me that deep freeze Flack"

She started to smile too, he relaxed and lifted his head off hers "You doing okay?"

"What do you think?" she retorted wryly and gestured with her hand to the ice cream and the beer

"What's that? A rejection dinner?"

He gazed down at his bare feet then looked at her "I wish I could say that I thought it was a good idea...us. But it's not. We're friends and I just...I don't think you're ready for another relationship yet anyway. It's just...I don't want to lose you as a friend"

She glanced at him then focused on her beer "This isn't a rebound. I really do...have feelings for you"

Adam stared out at the street, lit by the hazy afternoon sun "I can't do that. I can't take advantage of you when you're still...you care about Danny"

Adam tilted his head in her direction "I like you a lot" he rubbed his forehead "But I don't think what you want is me"

Ronnie put the beer down on the step "I know what I want Adam"

He looked at her, surprised she was using his first name "We've been hanging out a lot I know that and we're close now...but we are _just _friends"

"Right. So you don't feel that way at all?" she said softly, still staring at him, her eyes impossibly clear

He swallowed "I did. Once...but I got over that. It was just a crush...just like you'll get over this"

They gazed at each other for a few moments, she broke the gaze then got up "Well thanks for the beer and ice cream but...I think I should get home"

Adam sighed "This is what I didn't want to happen. Things are all weird"

She forced a smile "I'll get over it. Like you said. Right?"

Then she turned and walked away, he watched her go down the street and hoped that his rebuff didn't have too much of an effect on their friendship.

* * *

Orson smiled at George over the dinner table "Whatever you want. I'm giving you a blank cheque I want this wedding to be perfect for you" said Orson 

George smiled faintly staring out at the New York sunshine "Last one was pretty special"

"But this one will be the best one yet" he smirked and took a sip of his wine

George brushed some hair behind her ear, she'd had it straightened by a her sister Melissa who was a society hairdresser and wasn't quite comfortable with the new look yet

"Well. With that crazy wedding planner you hired...it should be" she said pointedly and started eating her salad "So...I have an appointment at the doctor's this Wednesday. Just routine"

"Of course, I've arranged for you to meet with a specialist, he's very good" said Orson, adjusting his club green tie

"So is the doctor I have now. It's just routine I don't need a specialist" she said firmly, determined not to let Orson take charge as much as he had last time they were together

He nodded respectfully, it was clear he'd changed too "Of course. I'll get my secretary to move some things around but there shouldn't be any reason why I cannot be there"

"You want to come?" she asked surprised and wondered how that would go down with Don, not that she knew what he was thinking any more. They hadn't spoken in weeks.

"Of course. We are a couple are we not?" said Orson, forking some of her salad and smiling

George nodded, realising that they really were. She stared at the glittering rock on her ring finger, everything had happened so fast. One minute she was having a baby with Don, the next thing they weren't speaking and she and Orson were engaged. Suddenly she felt very nervous. Had she made the right choice?

* * *

Mac lay back in Peyton's arms, feeling her long dark hair brushing his skin. She had certainly surprised him by the way she came into his life. He hadn't been looking for anyone and she'd turned up, being wonderful and charming all at the same time. 

Those past few weeks had been a whirlwind, he didn't know much about her which thinking about it, should have been something that he'd focused on more. Especially when he got the surprise of his life and found that she now worked in the same department as he did as a pathologist. Still, he wasn't about to get rid of her anytime soon, she was beautiful, intelligent, witty and patient, more patient than he deserved really.

She sat up, kissing his forehead as she did and sliding his shirt over her body.

"So, what is the plan for today? Working detective?" she asked lightly, a small smile on her pretty face

"No. I thought I'd skip work and see you" he said playfully

"This must be your night off then" she said with a wry smile

Mac kissed her "Breakfast?"

"Only if you're cooking"

He got up, slipping on a pair of pants over his boxers "Come on, I'll show you my speciality. Eggs Benedict"

She trailed after him into the kitchen, her hand around his waist, they kissed as they walked, slowing down every so often to so. Wrapped up in a warm bubble at their new romance, both finding themselves seeing a longer future to the relationship.

Peyton hoisted herself up on a kitchen counter top, smiling indulgently as Mac started to prepare breakfast.

"Mac. Can I ask you something a little personal?" she asked in her charming British accent

His dark eyes twinkled "Go ahead"

"What was your last relationship like?" she said so nicely that he felt obliged to answer, she never rushed him into anything which was why he liked her so much.

Mac looked thoughtful, the only relationship that had any real significance since Claire was the one he had with Stella.

"It was...complicated..." he said with a sigh and a half smile

Peyton sipped the coffee he'd set out for her "Aren't they all?"

Mac nodded slowly "We were friends...we both had feelings for each other but...other things got in the way, life, other relationships, fear of rejection...a lot of things. Anyway, I think that this way we are both much better off"

She looked at him carefully "Do you?"

He moved over to her, placing his hands on her knees and kissing her.

"Yes. I do"

* * *

Slamming the oven shut, Don startled his younger sister who was sat in their shared lounge trying to finish some write up that Wednesday evening. 

"What's with the slamming?" she asked lifting her head up

He came over to the lounge and crashed down on the couch, kicking off his shoes as he did. "I wasn't slamming anything"

She placed her papers down on the coffee table and looked at him encouragingly "Come on, tell Dr. Flack all about it"

Don raised his head to look at her then lowered it back down onto the arm of the couch "It's George. I mean...I don't get her. One second she's all over her new _fiancée_" he said derisively "Then she shows up at my place, the night I'm having a poker game with a couple of friends and _their _girlfriends and takes it as a sign of how 'irresponsible' I am" he muttered "Maybe I'm glad she's with him if she's going to be like this"

"Yeah and Madonna can sing. You as Beyonce might say, are crazy in love" she muttered flippantly

"Watch it" he warned then continued on "I can't talk to the woman! I give up, I really do"

Ronnie arched her eyebrows and picked her work back up "You interrupt me for that? Christ Don, George is pregnant she's all over the place and she's looking at you to be a father, to be a man, but all you do is crack toilet jokes with your pals at work and never show up to the odd doctor's appointment. You don't have to do much right now but you fail even that. You _need _to grow up!"

Don's eyes narrowed "The cheek..."

"Oh here we go..." she rolled her eyes and put her work back down again

"Nah, I mean...I've showed up to some of the pregnancy stuff" he said defensively

Ronnie raised an eyebrow dubiously "Less than three?"

"I resent that!" he protested huffily then he sat up "I have to work...a lot" he muttered lamely

She grinned "Your love life is more pathetic than mine. It's simple; Talk. To. _George_. Not _me_. _George. _Oh and grow the hell up bro"

Don pulled the famous 'Flack pout' "You first"

His sister scoffed "Oh yeah bro. That's real mature"

Don scratched his head "Two more things"

"What? I really gotta get some work done D" she sighed, turning back to him

"One; I'll talk to George, two; be my kid's godmother?" he asked sweetly

Ronnie laughed gleefully "You're serious?"

"Of course I am. I even put it in my will and George agrees too...touch wood obviously but it's there" he rapped his knuckles on the coffee table

"That is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me bro. Thank _you_" she smiled at him

Don held out his hands "I feel a family hug coming on"

She skipped over to him, forgetting her work and squeezed him tight and she realised that what with the move and the baby it would be a while before she could spend any serious quality time with her brother.

"Y'know what. Forget work. Lets hit the theme park" she suggested, one arm still around his shoulders

Don ruffled her hair with his knuckles, to which she slapped his hand away "Come on D, we haven't hung it in _years_"

He nodded in agreement "Let me just tun off the oven but uh...it's true, we need some time to bond and just like I said I'm going to miss that when I'm gone"

"That's so sweet" she gushed and ruffled his hair back

"Yeah I know! _You're _paying"

* * *

_**Post Love Run Cold**_

Lindsay shivered as she stepped onto the 7 train, she hated catching the subway at night but her car was costing too much in maintenance and the subway was admittedly much cheaper. She spotted an empty seat by a dark haired woman wearing shades and sat down, reaching into her bag for her paper.

"Hey"

She glanced to the left and smiled politely at the woman who had now taken off her shades

"Veronica. You take the subway?" she said in surprise

Ronnie shrugged "Yup. Sold my car, can't handle the maintenance"

Lindsay smiled to herself "I have that same problem" she brightened "I heard one of your jokes from Sheldon..." she started to chuckle "Very risqué"

Ronnie fluttered her eyelashes in mock modesty "I do try"

"Just come from work?"

"No but I left my purse there so I had to go back and..." she waved her hand dismissively "Got it now"

"How are you anyway?" said Lindsay, still feeling a little awkward around Ronnie, she was much more reserved and serious but even sitting down Ronnie seemed buzzing with energy and glamour

"You know me. Always on the up. You?"

"Ah...well...just had a really odd day" she thought of Danny and the look on his face when she'd rejected him but she wasn't apparently as ready as she'd thought to be in a relationship just yet. Especially with someone she felt so strongly about.

"Danny related?" guessed Ronnie, an understanding look in her eyes

Lindsay blushed and looked away "I don't know if I should talk about this...it might be weird for you"

Ronnie snorted in a very unladylike way "I'm over _him_. Believe me"

"How did you know anyway?" asked Lindsay, surprised by Ronnie's accurate guess

"Three nosy sisters and a cop for a brother. You get a knack for reading people" she admitted with a lazy shrug

Lindsay sighed, she was glad for someone to talk to but she was still uncertain if Ronnie was that person.

Noticing her reluctance Ronnie smiled dismissively "Hey, don't worry about it. You don't have to tell me"

The older of the two turned slightly in her seat "Actually...if you wouldn't mind I guess I could use another person's perspective"

Ronnie twisted her body to face Lindsay better "Shoot. I love gossip"

Lindsay chuckled faintly "Danny uh...well he asked me out earlier, just after work. I'd sort of been feeling that something was building between us for a while now and I thought I was ready for it but..."

Ronnie nodded "I know what you mean"

Lindsay seemed surprised, warming to the other woman now "Really?"

"Sometimes you're just not ready. I thought there was some stuff in my past that I had dealt with but I hadn't and in the end that was one of the reasons we broke up" she said lightly, not at all bothered about talking about her ex-boyfriend anymore

Lindsay's eyes widened slightly, she hadn't expected to have this much in common with Ronnie "I...I told him that I needed to deal with some things in _my _past too. I do like him...but"

"Don't foce it, if he's good enough he'll wait for you and I think he likes you enough to do that" said Ronnie smiling

Lindsay didn't look convinced but she was grateful all the same for Ronnie's advice. A thought crossed her mind "When you were with Danny..."

"Mhmm..."

"Did he sometimes do this thing when he'd lean over your shoulder and talk into your ear at work?"

The two women laughed loudly, ignoring the looks from some other passengers.

"Yeah! He thought he was being really sexy but..." exclaimed Ronnie, giggling conspiratorially

"It's just irritating! Especially when you're trying to work!" said Lindsay getting into the topic

"Oh and then there's that lip licking thing! It's so _sleazy_!"

"Oh my god when you actually think about it...It is isn't it! What about him and his sunglasses?"

"I swear he has more of those than I have shoes!"

"_Every_ hot day he has a _different_ pair!"

They continued on that way, talking about men and friends in general, surprised by how well they got on. Both people were certainly different on the surface but where it counted they were both strong willed women with similar views on life.

So when Ronnie got off at her stop, Lindsay was surprised to see her actually wishing they could have talked for longer. Finally she started to see what was so infectious about Veronica Flack, she was a good person to be around.

Ronnie hopped off the subway and started on her way back to her apartment. Lindsay Monroe was a sweet girl and Ronnie could tell that she wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally, Ronnie couldn't believe that once she had felt threatened by the other woman.

* * *

Stella rapped on the door to Mac's office, she peered around it and smiled at him, he was sat with Adam going through his evaluation report for that term of work. 

"Working hard or hardly working?" she asked

"According to this, working hard" said Adam proudly

Mac knew Stella well enough by now to know when she needed to talk, he smiled at Adam "Alright you can go now. Oh and if you see Ronnie can you send her in for her evaluation report?"

Adam looked blank for a moment then his eyes widened, as he was suddenly reminded of something "Shit" he exclaimed without realising

Mac cleared his throat, looking amused "Problem?"

Adam looked at his wristwatch "Oh yeah...gonna kill me" he mumbled then hurried out of the office, clutching his evaluation with him

"What, was that about?" smirked Stella, taking the chance to sit down opposite Mac

Mac shrugged, more interested in her "Did you want to see me?"

"Oh yeah..." her face fell "I just needed someone to talk to...about Frankie"

"Now?" he asked, all ready to pack up and go with her

"No. No...will you be at Cozy's tomorrow night?"

Mac frowned, he had a date with Peyton. He dismissed his worry quickly, she'd understand that Stella was a friend and she needed him. Peyton _would_ understand, the more he thought about it, the surer he was.

"Yeah sure. I just have to make a call. Why don't we meet around seven?"

Stella nodded, gratefully, brightening up already "You sure it isn't a problem?"

He smiled "Why would it be?"

* * *

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" said Adam, apologising profusely as he manoeuvred through the crowd, all crammed into the music venue. He finally made it by the stage, (after much pushing and dirty looks from the audience) where the burly security guard gave him a once over then seeming to recognise him let him past the metal crowd barrier that had been set up. 

Adam looked sheepishly at his friend Lucas who wore an irritated expression

"You're lucky, we were_ just _about to go on" said Lucas, a guitar slung around his torso, he gestured at his band mates who were already up on stage and setting up their equipment

"Great, so I'm not late am I?" said Adam smugly

Lucas smirked at this, then he scratched his shaved head peering nervously at the crowd "There's tonnes of press here and a I think the A&R guy for Rough Trade records..."

Adam wasn't really listening, he was looking further to his left, by the backstage bar where a couple of the band's girlfriend's, manager and various people from their label were sitting.

"...so he wants to produce our record! This is _the_ Rob Cavallo of American Idiot fame! Crazy right?" laughed Lucas, completely unaware of Adam's inattentiveness

"Who is that?" he asked gesturing to a leggy blonde, sat beside a dark haired woman that looked vaguely familiar

"Oh...that's Alanna she's 'with the band', Roslyn is our PR, well she wants to be...but I don't know, her company is huge and the kind of 'artists' she's had..."

Again Adam wasn't listening "Where have I seen her before?" he muttered to himself then he did a double take as Ronnie appeared, she had been standing behind the bar which explained why he hadn't seen her.

"Dude. Why did you invite _her?_" asked Adam, cringing and biting his thumb which bore a chunky black ring

"She's Roslyn's sister or something. Don't you two work together or something?" said Lucas distractedly "Oh...crap I've got to get up there. Wish me luck"

Adam turned to his friend and patted him on the back "Break a leg" then with a smirk added "Or something"

Lucas grinned, exhaled then hurried up the side steps leading to the stage. The lights went up and there was a round of rapturous applause before the music started.

Adam peered at Ronnie, though it was hard to make her out, what with the only light coming from the stage. She was dancing and chatting excitedly with her sister. He made a face. He was going to have to talk to her sometime.

Deciding that now might be the only time where he might get her alone without her running off, he headed over to where she was and smiled.

"Hey"

She seemed surprised to see him "Hi" she said brightly then went back to watching the band, he tapped her shoulder, getting a strange look from her sister

"What?" she muttered under her breath

He mouthed the words 'outside' and 'please' at her then gestured with a jerk of his head to the exit. Ronnie appeared to be considering something, then she nodded and followed him towards the fire escape.

They stepped outdoors past a metal door; where they were both hit by the sharp air and instinctively shivered, each respectively rubbing their hands together.

"Fuck I should have worn a jacket" he muttered absently

Ronnie chuckled "Its not that bad" then she stared at him encouragingly

"So. What's up? We're missing the band. _Your _friend's band" she said casually, glancing around at their location; a metal platform with stairs that lead down from their moderate to where the back entrance and the trash cans were.

"I know, but I wanted to talk to you. What's with the deep freeze Flack?" he asked, smiling to show he wasn't upset by the fact that she was avoiding him but concerned

"I have _not _been freezing you out _Ross_" she lifted her head, listening to the faint music coming from the bar "Work has been crazy bananas so..." she said jokily

He didn't look convinced by her attempt to sound cheerful "Is this about a couple of weeks back?"

She flushed and stared at the wall past him "No, it isn't. You know I have other friends, I can't just hang out with you all the time and- and I'm busy." she frowned thoughtfully then peered at him with her blue eyes "I'm over that anyway"

"Good" he acknowledged with a nod of his head "I told you"

Ronnie smirked to herself "Right"

"But I kind of miss you. We don't talk anymore, I'm beginning to think you're seeing other lab techs"

She rolled her eyes at his words but his light heartedness seemed to have relaxed her and she wasn't quite as tense

"Yeah well...I'm...not avoiding you. Okay? So can we go back inside?"

Adam nodded, his hands rubbing his bare forearms "Sure. So we're cool?"

"Yeah" she said distractedly then smiled at him warmly "We're cool"

He smiled back and held the door open for her "You go ahead"

She gave him a fleeting curious glance but shrugged and then went indoors. He stayed behind momentarily, realising that oddly he missed her a lot more than he'd just let on.

* * *

**A/N:** _The views reflected by this character do not in any way shape or form reflect those of the author. (She **Hates** Lindsay) My friend and I even have a club...I'm going to stop typing now..._


	33. A Game Of Balance

**A/N:** _No one has said much about Orson aside from 'getridofhim!' etc, can I have some real criticism! Also, yhere may be a problem for those that want to see Ronnie and Danny together because I REALLY don't like his charcter anymore on the show which is affecting the story and it's already a push for me to be civil about Lindsay so...well you'll have to wait and see, but I promise I'll be fair to the plot and the way I've written the character's relationships. I won't purposefully mess things up, I'm not THAT childish._

_Other than that, you're all hilarious and I love reading your reviews. As always..._

_Enjoy._

* * *

George buttoned her black coat back up, smiling at her doctor as he waved her and Orson out of his office.

"The miracle of birth eh?" said Orson, linking his arm with hers

"I know, I can't believe that grey fuzz is one day going to be a real live human being" she said quietly, awed by the ultrasound which had shown a picture of her very healthy baby

"Are you certain you don't want to know the sex of the child?" asked Orson

"Yes! Some of us like having surprises" she insisted and started to smile as they walked outside her doctor's clinic and to the sidewalk where a sleek black chauffeur driven car was parked, ready to pick them up.

The chauffeur; a tall grey haired man, stepped out from the driver's seat and tipped his smart black hat at them "Mr Binoche, Ms. Wheil, I have called ahead and the restaurant has your table ready"

"Can we walk actually?" asked George, enjoying the light breeze through her hair and the warm sun on her face

Orson nodded and looked at his driver "Sam I guess I won't need you today. Take the day off"

"Alright sir, good day" Sam said brightly and headed back into the car. Orson and George watched him drive off then they started down the New York streets.

"Where would you like to go? Shopping? Dinner?" asked Orson

"No...I just want to walk and talk...about you. Did you ever get serious with anyone?" she said lightly

He smirked "Not quite as serious as pregnancy"

She blushed and rolled her eyes.

"...but yes there was one woman. Genevieve. But in the end she wasn't you"

"Flattery will get you everywhere" she grinned

"I certainly hope so. What about you, anyone particularly special?"

"Not really" she paused, thinking of Don "I guess Flack...err Donald, the baby's father."

"Did you love him?"

George shook her head quickly "No. I didn't. I thought I could but we were too different. Always squabbling like..." she smirked "children"

"He seemed very into you. From what I have seen" said Orson tentatively

George frowned "Well...that's all in the past"

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I want to be with you. No one else"

Orson smiled and kissed her cheek, then they continued on walking in amiable silence.

* * *

Don started in surprise, peering across the street, it was hard to be sure but he thought that amongst the other pedestrians, he recognised someone.

"Isn't that George?" asked Sheldon who was beside him and carrying a silver CSI kit

"Yeah" said Don slowly, he saw that she and Orson were holding hands and strolling along. For all intents and purposes happy, parents to be.

Sheldon made a sympathetic face "And that must be that Orson dude"

"Yeah"

"Let's go" said Don, and determinedly turned towards the apartment block where his crime scene was

"Elevator's busted. We gotta take the stairs"

"Y'know" said Sheldon once they were inside the confines of the block's grey, drab stairwell "You oughta talk to George. Tell her how you really feel"

Don who was just ahead of him, shot his friend an irritated look.

Sheldon shrugged and backed down "Or don't...Y'know...I'm just _saying_"

* * *

"This is such a nice place. I can see why you're always here" said Stella, her eyes wandering over the small bar with it's friendly clientele and the bright but quiet jazz music playing in the background. It was no wonder, with such a great atmosphere, that Mac loved the place.

Mac nodded spooning pasta into his mouth, from a nearly empty place "Hmmm"

Stella smiled faintly "So, how are you? You've been unusually preoccupied with things other than work. Or so I've noticed"

Mac quickly finished chewing "Are you trying to imply I was a workaholic with no social skills?"

She smirked then answered "No"

"You hesitated!" he looked at her "I've just decided to enjoy life more. It's short isn't it"

She nodded solemnly and picked at her own plate of salad "I know. Frankie's...mom called me yesterday"

Mac frowned "What did she say?"

"She just wanted to know what happened. She knew...but she wanted to hear it from me. I told her" she sighed heavily "I just felt awful, I wish that things hadn't turned out the way they had"

"Frankie was...a very troubled person...you couldn't help that" said Mac, choosing his words carefully

"I know. God, I know but imagine having to tell someone you killed their son?" she shook her head, trying to physically shake the image of Frankie's body and that tragic day from her mind

"You just take it a day at a time" Mac reached over and took her hand "I've got you"

Stella smiled slowly, Mac's kindness was just another thing she loved about him, she squeezed his hand back then cleared her throat.

"I think I'm thirsty. Shall I order?"

Mac let go of her hand, still feeling the touch of warm skin on his palm "I'll do it. What would you liketo drink...Stella perhaps?"

Another smile; "You read my mind"

* * *

"When you said you had front row tickets to a hit show...this wasn't what I was picturing" whispered Adam, careful not to disrupt the rest of the audience.

After their conversation back at his friend's gig Ronnie had seemed to be much warmer to Adam and their friendship seemed to be back on track. She'd invited him to come and watch her nephews Gabe and Nate's performance in their school's seasonal musical.

"This _is _a hit show and these _are _front row seats" insisted Ronnie and smiled proudly at her two nephews who along with the rest of their class were putting on a performance for family and friends

At his sceptical look she added "Where else are you going to find a bunch of six year olds doing an abbreviated version of Jesus Christ Superstar?"

Adam smiled faintly and fell silent for a few minutes then spoke again "Which ones are Gabe and Nate again?"

She was about to respond when her sister Ros, who was sat beside them leant over and told her to be quiet, much to Adam's quiet amusement.

Finally an hour later the show was over and the audience were piling out of the small school auditorium, some clustered together in the bright light hall outside waiting for their children to come out from backstage.

Adam, Ronnie, Ros and her husband Colin were amongst the other parents and family members all talking proudly about their children's respective performances and none was prouder or louder than Ros.

"Casting Nate as Jesus was an inspired piece of direction from Mrs. Bowman" she said loftily to her husband's chagrin

"Ros, I love our boys but you've got to be kidding! They fluffed their lines and got distracted by some of the girls. A lot. Which...was an odd thing for Jesus and Moses to do" said Colin honestly with a disarming smile

Ros sighed "Must you be so negative baby? They were _amazing_ blew the other brats out of the water"

"Ros!" exclaimed an appalled Ronnie

Her older sister ignored her, spotting a friend in the crowd Ros went over to greet her, leaving her husband, Colin and Ronnie chuckling about her boasting.

"Yes, simply marvellous, the way Gabe as a stirring Moses and Nate as _believable _Jesus used Stanislavski's love of emotional realism to create a part that was both _moving_ and entertaining at the same time. Brilliance!" said Adam impishly, clapping his hands dramatically

Ronnie and Colin shared a sneaky laugh at this, both glad that Ros was too busy showing off to another parent to have heard him.

Finally Gabe and Nate made their appearance, both wearing oversize shades and pretending to wave to an adoring audience.

"Those two are major hams" Ronnie muttered to Adam

"Hmm, yeah, I _wonder_ where they get it from?" he teased glancing at her

She elbowed him dismissively and went to congratulate her nephews on their show. When she was done she bid Colin and Ros goodnight then went outside under the starry night, where Adam was waiting with her coat.

"You had fun really...come on, I saw you smiling" she said tugging on her coat and shaking her hair out when it was tucked under the collar

"It was pretty good" he admitted reluctantly, he started to smirk, scratching his beard "Ros hated me though"

Ronnie folded her arms across her chest "Well...yeah"

"Thanks for not lying(!)" he said drily "She _really_ didn't appreciate my sense of humour. Which is shocking"

"Ignore Ros, if Colin likes you. Which he _did_, then that's all you need. He'll get her on side, he's really the only person she listens to" said Ronnie, they walked past the school car park and down the block, entering the east village while they discussed the evening.

"What now?" asked Adam stopping underneath a street light and peering at his leather wristwatch "It's only nine thirty...nights not over yet"

She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "Actually. I have a late date"

He raised his eyebrows briefly "Oh yeah? That's great. So you don't..."

She shook her head quickly "Nope. Nah. I mean a little...but we're friends. You were right...and I'm...moving on"

He nodded slowly "Well that's good. I mean I can understand you falling for me though. I am pretty irresistible. If I could" he pointed at himself "I'd make out with myself"

"_Man_! You are _such_ a creep" she laughed and then paused at the edge of the side walk "Well. Anyway, you go and ahem...'enjoy yourself'. I better catch a cab"

"Where you headed?"

"Uptown"

"La di _dah_"

She scoffed and gave him a curious look "What? Something on my face?"

Realising he was staring at her and wondering why he was, he looked away quickly "I shall hail you a mighty steed" he whistled for a cab and when one stopped before them, he opened the door for her and pretended to bow "Your carriage"

Ronnie rolled her eyes and stepped inside, tucking his hands into his pockets he smiled as she waved at him from the passenger seat window. Then the bright yellow cab was off into the night. Watching it drive away till it disappeared Adam thought of that strange moment he'd just had, he _knew _that he just wanted to be friends with Ronnie but for some reason or another he was finding it hard to remember why he wanted that.

* * *

"I hate it"

George winced at the expressions of dismay that filled everyone's faces from her mother and her sisters Margot and Valerie to the two dressmakers clustered around her.

She was stood on a small round stool in one of New York's most exclusive bridal boutiques wearing a handcrafted, puffy floaty white wedding gown with an equally elaborate and expensive veil over her head.

"But you look _stunning_" said Melissa, attired in her favourite designer jeans and hip YSL blouse

"I know! And she doesn't say that to just _anyone_" added Valerie, she had a short blonde bob and was wearing an outfit almost scarily similar to her mother's Chanel skirt suit

"Darling" sighed Katrina, arching a pin neat eyebrow "Is this one of those sarcastic jokes of yours that I pretend to laugh at?"

George folded her arms huffily and glowered as a dressmaker tried to adjust a veil "No! It's just...it's not me"

"Ugh! Not that _again! _You were like this at the cake shop too. Orson's given you a blank cheque, why aren't you picking what you like _then_?" said Valerie impatiently, although only seventeen she was just as sharp tongued and self assured as the rest of her sisters

"I just don't...this whole wedding is too much...and _will_ you get away from me with those stupid tape measures!" she snapped at the second dressmaker who gave her a hurt look but wisely backed away with her co-worker

"You _do _want to marry Orson don't you?" said her mother suspiciously

George shut her eyes firmly then stared at her sisters and her mother's expectant looks, then she placed a hand on her bump and smiled "Of course I do"

"Well then this is just pre-wedding jitters. Don't worry, we'll find something for you. I might even get you Vera Wang" said Melissa proudly "I did her hair like last week and she'll totally accept"

George sighed "Why don't we get on to the flower place?"

Katrina smiled "Excellent, I'll just call and let them know we're on our way"

George watched her sisters and her mother chatter excitedly together about floral arrangements and sighed for the umpteenth time that day, it was hopeless, there was no one who understood what she was going through. Not anymore anyway.

* * *

Don rubbed his palms together, shivering in the cold. He'd been waiting outside the gym for almost half an hour, so determined was he to be early to George's antenatal class. They hadn't talked much and after seeing a small piece announcing hers and Orson engagement in one of his sister's society magazines he knew that he had his work cut out for him if he was ever going to stop the wedding.

The Bentley pulled up just five minutes before the class was due to stop, it's driver got out and opened the door for his passengers; George and Orson.

They were both dressed casually and seeing them together, Don's eyes fell on her glittering engagement ring and thought how perfect they looked, but he knew that he couldn't let himself be put off.

"Flack" said George, clearly surprised to see him "I thought you weren't..."

"I know" he said dismissively "But I'm here now. I need to know all this stuff don't I?"

Orson looked at the other man carefully "It's alright, I'm here...George and I can take the class. I'm sure you're busy "

"No...it's fine. I'm here. I've cleared my schedule" said Don brightly, he wasn't about to be edged out of his child's life

Orson looked at George "What do you think?"

She stared at her feet then at Orson again "Would you mind?"

"Of course not" he kissed her, Don looked away, frowning

"Have fun. I'll be back to pick you up after the class sweetheart"

She nodded and watched as he went back to his Bentley and then faced Don.

"That was awkward right?"

George sighed and gave him a serious glare "Next time, you better tell me for _certain _if you're going to just show up so I don't have to rearrange my plans or put Orson out" then she stalked in ahead of him

Don sighed wearily.

Yup.

He had his work cut out for him.

* * *

"Mac?"

Peyton peered at the dark haired man, he had a serious expression on his face, he moved away from the glass windows and half smiled at her.

"I'm sorry"

"It's your birthday" she said her hand reaching for the back of his neck and gently stroking it "You're supposed to be celebrating. Why so serious?"

They were stood on the fifth floor beside a vending machine where Peyton had brought Mac a muffin as a makeshift birthday cake for his birthday. They had been stood like that for a while, his arm around her shoulder and her head nestled against his, while they talked, every so often going silent and admiring the view.

"Yeah I know. My mind was somewhere else" he said finally and kissed the top of her dark hair

"Stella?"

His heart gave a guilty start at the mention of her name and although at the time he wondered why, later in the privacy of his own home he knew why he felt so guilty.

Before he can answer, Peyton continues.

"I mean, I know. I understand you're concerned about her, the business with Frankie must have been so awful for her. If there's anything I can do to help...you just tell me"

He smiled at her understanding, ignoring the second flash of guilt that hit him "Thank you"

"Don't forget..." she said kissing him briefly "That this is something that Stella has to go through so...give her some space. Let her breathe and just be there when she needs you"

Another wave of guilt, Mac kissed Peyton, holding her body close to his he gazed down into her eyes "Thank you for being so supportive. I really appreciate it"

She smiled sweetly "I know"


	34. Who Needs Actions When You've Got Words?

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad I amused you. Drama is coming up soon though so watch out! Characters that were less in play recently are coming back to the forefront coughDannycough ; ) Also why do you hate Peyton! She's nice, aside from being the reason Stella and Mac aren't together...now I get it ; )**

**Thanks again and...**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Wincing again as he pressed the ice pack to his bruised eye, Adam shuffled back in his seat on the hood of a disused car outside a large auto shop called 'Wheeling and Dealing'.

"Well" said Ronnie, she stood before her friend, hands on her hips and biting her lip to stop herself from laughing;

"_You _shouldn't have punched him. From some reason, Eddie hates when people do that"

Adam groaned "I _thought_ he was attacking _you_ and _anyway _he punched me too!"

"We were just goofing around. Eddie is like my much older... _gay _brother, he used to let me work in his garage in the holidays so I could afford to buy text books for college and stuff" she explained,

"Thanks for the history lesson, its really useful _five _minutes after the fact" he said with a sarcastic snort then looked at her suspiciously through his good eye "Are you laughing at this Flack?"

She struggled not to smile and put on a serious expression "Of course not, I'm totally feeling your pain. Ghastly business"

Adam scoffed "Yeah _right_. Look at you! You're practically giddy!"

Ronnie gave up and doubled over with laughter, much to his annoyance, it was bad enough the jokes and smirks he'd gotten from some of the mechanics when the whole thing was straightened out but if he knew Ronnie she'd be teasing him about the whole incident for months, his frown deepened; _years _even.

"Aw" she said looking at him and then sat down on the hood beside him "Come on, you'll laugh about this later. I mean I'm already laughing so you will too" she grinned and patted his back "You should have called to tell me you were coming"

"I didn't know you were here!" he protested indignantly "Everybody in the _know _comes to Eddie's garage. I didn't realise you two were 'bosom buddies' I just wanted to see if he could fit me in for a new paint job next week"

"If it's any consolation Ross" she said, stifling another bout of laughter "The thought that you could come and protect little ole me is _very _sweet."

He sighed and tilted his head to her "I know you can handle yourself I was just...I don't know" he trailed off

She rubbed his arm sympathetically "I owe you a drink"

Adam smiled faintly,moved the ice pack from his head and looked at her "Am I still pretty?"

Grinning widely she nodded "You're still pretty"

He started to chuckle then gingerly placed the ice pack back against his head, she took his hand and examined his bruised knuckles.

"_Man." _she whistled "You must hit like a girl to get your hand looking like this"

He growled irritatedly "Shush or I'll hit _you_"

"Ooo" she put on a mock stern face "You want me to get Eddie back here?"

Adam gasped, pretending to be offended "I risk life and limb coming to fair damsels rescue, receive bloody, painful injury and this is the thanks I get?"

She pursed her lips, trying again not to laugh, then moved a braid hanging from her right shoulder over to her left, revealing a thin jagged, faded pale red scar at the nape of her neck.

"I got _this _when D hit me in the back of the head with a hockey stick 'accidentally'...now _this _is a real scar" she said smugly

Adam scoffed "Lemme see that"

He reached over with his free hand and started tracing the line of the old injury, then suddenly she jerked her head away.

"Uhm, I'm going to go inside grab Eddie's first aid kit" she said, sounding a little too bright

"What was that?" he asked, staring at her curiously

"What?"

"You just jumped like a mile when I touched you"

Ronnie scoffed "I think that punch has made you a little paranoid"

He stared at her questioningly and she looked back defiantly, inwardly feeling herself growing ever more uncomfortable by his expression.

"O..._kay_" he said finally

She breathed out, flashing him a genuine smile "I better get that kit"

From the time it took her to get a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a plaster and then return, Ronnie had realised that she wasn't in any danger of getting over her 'crush' or whatever it was anytime soon and that was definitely _bad _but at least Adam hadn't seemed to have worked out what was in her head and that was _good_.

"That better not sting" he said peering at the small dark bottle with suspicion

"Don't be a wuss" she chided gently and moved the ice pack away from his forehead "Here, put this on your hand and sit still"

He did as she asked, not complaining once while she tentatively cleaned the wound then pressed a plaster, emblazoned with Mickey Mouse heads over the cut.

"Agh...this is not a good look" he said peering into a compact mirror she handed him when she was done

"You complain too much" she said taking the mirror back and slipping it into her purse "Come on, lets go get you that drink"

* * *

Don rapped on the door to the penthouse, completely dreading the evening he was about to have. When Orson answered he managed to force a smile.

"Hey"

"Don! Great to see you man" said Orson brightly, he appeared to have like Don; just come from work and was still in his suit

"Yeah, likewise" replied Don, trying to keep the sarcasm from his voice

"Well come in, come in" said Orson, shaking his hand vigorously, then he lead Don inside to an intimidatingly plush looking place, which was a far cry from the apartment Don shared with Ronnie.

"Nice place" he admitted, taking off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack

Orson shrugged dismissively "I'm just renting till Georgie and I find a suitable place" he gestured over to the low lit lounge with a window that stretched around the room, giving a fantastic view of the city

"Have a seat, I'll get Georgie. White or red?"

Don shrugged "Whichever one has more alcohol" he said dryly, thinking he was going to need a stiff drink

Orson chuckled "I'll go and pour up" then he went off into the kitchen, leaving Don in the lounge. The detective tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and stared out at the window, there was no way he was able to compete with what Orson had to offer.

"Gives me vertigo" aid George

He looked around quickly, she smiled "It really does. I can't _stand _that window"

He smiled back, maybe he had a shot after all "Chicken"

She laughed, then placed a hand on her hips "Thanks for coming"

"Well I had nothing better to do..." he said with an affable grin, then he sat down on an armchair, following her lead

"So how have you been?? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks" she said brightly, he noticed her hair was much straighter shorter and she would fidget with it a lot over the length of the night

"Two weeks actually" he replied "Guess you're now officially on maternity leave. How you handling having no work to do?"

She rolled her eyes, rubbing her much rounder stomach absently as she did "Y'know? I thought I'd hate it but it's been really good to get some rest. I guess when this one is born I won't rest till it turns eighteen"

"If _then_. Kids never stop worrying you" he said then went silent as he wondered what was the proper etiquette about asking someone you were in love with how their wedding to another man was going

"The wedding planning is...a little stressful" she said, saving him the trouble "I mean, every time I get a dress fitted I put on more weight. I tell you right now, Shamu has nothing on me"

He had to smile "Actually, I think you look great...you're glowing"

She blushed and fiddled with her hair again, just as Orson reappeared, holding a tray with two half full wine glasses, a wine bottle and a tall glass of what looked like cranberry juice, he handed a wine glass to Don

"Here you go man" then set the tray down and handed George the tall glass

She looked sheepish at Don's smirk "It's the only stuff I can handle drinking these days"

He chuckled "What about all your allergies? Better or worse now?"

She snorted "Worse. I live on chocolate and pizza"

"Not that you're complaining" said Orson, kissing her and suddenly bringing Don's mood down

"So...I guess we better get started" said the detective "Visitation rights"

"Don't make it sound like prison" said George, trying to keep the tone light hearted. She hated that it had come to this

"I'm just trying to be practical" Don muttered

"Of course" Orson said brightly "Well, I'm sure it won't be a problem with either of us if you wish to visit or have a schedule worked out"

"Yeah" nodded Don

"How about we have the child during the week and you have weekends? Its simply more...straightforward" explained Orson

Don sighed "Sure. What about if I'm off work in the week?"

"Well if you call ahead then we won't mind having you come over or...taking the child with you for the day" said Orson, sounding all in all very reasonable, which made it hard for Don to dislike him but then he just had to look at George and was instantly reminded of all he was losing to the man

"What'dya think George?" he asked looking at her

She appeared wearier of the conversation by the second "Yeah. Why not?"

"Okay...what else?" said Orson then he thought of something "Georgie and I would like to raise our child in keeping with our faith"

"Is that right _Georgie_?" Don said sarcastically

George flushed and looked at Orson hesitantly "Well no...I think that our child should make the decision themselves when they are older"

Both men seemed to accept this after a few brief thoughtful moments. Then Don started up again "Alright, since we're all being very civilised and diplomatic about it. What about baby names? First and last"

"Ah" mused Orson, tapping his chin and sipping his wine "Therein lies the rube"

Don raised an eyebrow at the man and wondered how this _seriously _was who George was planning to spend the rest of her life with.

"I think Flack...uh should choose. As it is _his _child, it'll obviously have his last name too. I mean...since we'll have the kid most of the time...its only fair" George said softly, surprising them both

Orson recovered quickly "If you want"

She stared at them both "I do" then she cleared her throat "As for the ante-natal classes I can't handle you two both trying to come so...I'm gonna go with a friend from now on? Alright?"

"But I..."protested Orson

"That's my final word on it" she said folding her arms then smiling to show there were no harsh feelings intended

Don shrugged "Alright whatever. What about doctor's appointments?"

"If you want...you can both come. You both deserve to be there" she said, feeling more and more uncomfortable, when she envisaged herself settling down with children one day in the far future, she never dreamt it would be this uncomfortable

"Great" Don stood up, smoothing down his trousers "If that's everything for now?"

"Ah the wedding! It's in a few months" said Orson, he stood up too "We'd both love it if you could attend"

Don raised an eyebrow "Yeah?" he peered at George but she was studiously avoiding his gaze

"So what do you say?" asked Orson

Don shrugged again "Sure. I'll be there with bells on"

Then after being walked out by Orson, he was gone.

"Well, he's actually quite an agreeable guy, I thought he'd be trying to stake his claim but...he was fair" commented Orson, while he cleared up the glasses

"Yeah he is" replied George, noticing that this was the first time she'd really noticed that side of Don

George exhaled and went into the bedroom, she'd hated how down Don had looked, she knew that the situation wasn't ideal but she told herself that even if she hadn't been with Orson thing would still be complicated. She shook her head, physically getting rid of her busy thoughts and picked up a wedding magazine from her dresser.

* * *

Staring in confusion at the flames coming from a fifth floor window, Don jumped out of his car and ran up to the front of his apartment block where a loud, excited crowd had gathered alongside an ambulance and a police car. He flashed his badge at a fireman.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, dreading the answer, in all the stress of the situation with George, he couldn't remember when he'd last spoken to his sister, and he was now praying that she wasn't up there

The fireman pointed up to the floor "Yeah some guy in 5G was cooking, left to answer the phone, the next thing you know his place is on fire"

Don couldn't help feeling relieved that it was not his apartment (5B) or his sister that was in trouble. "Uh thanks" he muttered and stood back to let the fireman get on with his job.

"Don!"

He shot a look over his shoulder and beamed when he saw his sister hurrying over to him. She hugged him tightly "Thank God, I thought _you_ were in there"

Don nodded "Same here. Is anyone else up there?"

She shook her head "There were a couple of people but the firemen got them out. Mrs.Barber, y'know 5H? She called me and Adam dropped me off"

She gestured over to the crowd where Adam was stood amongst them, also watching as the team of firemen attempted to put out the blaze.

"Aw, y'know. I can't have that turkey sandwich I wanted" said Don with a weary sigh

Ronnie looked sheepish "You wouldn't have been able to have that anyway. I may have eaten it"

Don sighed, trying not to smile "You're a greedy sob"

She shrugged "Yeah but I'm family and you love me really"

Don ruffled her hair "I'm glad you're okay" he glanced over at some of the police officers keeping the small crowd back "I better go see if I can help. You stay away from the fire alright?"

She nodded and waved him off, then the two siblings separated. She went over to Adam who had moved a little away from the crowd and was sat on the side walk typing something into his Side Kick.

"Hey" she said smoothing down her skirt and sitting down beside him

"Hey" he said putting the Side Kick back in his jeans pocket "Did you talk to your brother?"

"Yeah, he's gonna see what he can do to help" she sighed miserably "They said that until they clear things out and see the extent of the damage, people are going to have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight"

Adam rubbed her back sympathetically "You can stay with me. I must warn ya, I talk in my sleep and I don't cook _ever_. It's always take out for me"

She smiled faintly "Aw you don't have to offer...I know you have work tomorrow"

He squeezed her shoulder "I mean it. Come on, you can even use my toothbrush"

His comment had the desired effect as she burst out laughing "You get creepier every day Ross"

He stood up and held out his hand, helping her up "Fine. Don't use my toothbrush _your majesty_" he said pretending to be offended

She smirked "You're an idiot. Look, I'll just tell D and give him your number in case he needs me"

Adam nodded and waited patiently till she returned a few minutes later where they then walked the few blocks to his apartment complex.

* * *

Once up in Adam's apartment Ronnie collapsed on the couch, exhausted by the night's events.

She looked at the wall clock "It's nearly one. When is your shift?"

"At four" said Adam with a weary yawn he sat down next to her, watching her concernedly "You want something to drink or eat Flack?"

She shook her head "It's okay. Get some rest"

He let out another involuntary yawn "Alright. You don't mind having the couch?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to be up for a while anyway. I guess I'll watch TV or something"

Getting up and stretching, he yawned once more " You can have the bedroom when I'm up. Keep the noise down."

"You too sleep talker"

He smiled wryly and headed into his bedroom.

At three thirty in the morning, Adam rolled out of bed, feeling as if he'd just got to sleep, he scanned his watch and grimaced at the time.

He shuffled into the lounge and turned on the lights where he saw Ronnie through the window, she stood there on the fire escape shivering. He sighed wearily, walked over to the window and opened it.

"What the hell are you doing?" he groaned rubbing his eyes

She looked sheepish "I wanted to have a smoke then I dropped my pack and I realised the window had shut on me"

He started to chuckle "I really wish I had a camera all of a sudden"

Ronnie pouted "Are you going to help me in or what?"

Adam sighed and pushed the window up, making sure the latch kept it there "I thought you were quitting?"

She shrugged and gave him another sheepish smile "Give me a break"

"You're insane you know"

"Just give me a hand"

He chuckled again then held out his hand and she gripped it after that, she hesitantly stepped through the window almost slipping once but he caught her quickly, propping her up by grabbing her waist to steady her.

She blushed, her hands on his shoulders "Thanks" she was suddenly very aware of how loud her heart was beating, he _must _have noticed, but he seemed oddly distracted.

"No problem" he said quietly then leant forward and kissed her, pulling her up to him, she stood on her toes, staring in surprise when he stopped all too quickly

"Sorry, I really should stop doing that"

She made an incomprehensible sighing noise. _God he's a good _kisser she thought as she reciprocated,wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss.

"What time is it?" said Ronnie, they had been stood there by the window kissing, every so often briefly stopping to catch their breath then they would start all over again, as if catching up on all the time they wasted _not _kissing each other.

"Ugh. I think it's nearly four" he muttered and nibbled her ear lobe

"Shouldn't you get ready for work?" she said, trying to move away, not that she managed it or really wanted to

He raised his head "I think so. Unless I skip the shower which means we can make out for another fifteen minutes"

Ronnie suppressed a giggle "I like the sound of that"

Adam smirked and lowered his head again "Now, where was I..."


	35. Once More With Feeling

**A/N: Right, before you start about predictable story lines...not that you ever have to be fair...there's always some twists and turns in this! Anyway, thank YOU for the reviews, they were really fun tto read. I've sort of actually mentally finished this story and I know when I'm going to end it because I DO love it. But I can't drag it out.**

**However, I WILL consider a sequel... Language warning!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Peyton silently looked at the empty gurney, she was thinking of things with Mac, she'd really wanted things to work and now...

"Hey" said Adam, he came into the so far silent morgue, holding a few sheets of stapled together paper

"Hello Adam" she said, trying to sound bright, when in reality she felt anything but "Have you got my tox reports for me?"

"Yeah" he nodded with a yawn "Sorry, didn't get much sleep"

"Oh you too?" she asked, accepting the sheets of paper from him "Yeah I had a lot on my mind too"

"Something like that" he said sleepily "Everything check out?"

She looked at the report "Yes. Looks like this was an accidental death after all. Oh, I heard about the fire at the Flack place. Is everything alright?"

Adam knowing she was asking because she was aware he was friends with Ronnie and not because she wanted any gossip, answered truthfully.

"Well Ronnie's staying with me for the night since they don't know how much damage has been done but I think it was just the one place that was on fire. It should all be cleared up tomorrow"

Peyton smiled at him "She is lucky to have a friend like you"

Adam smirked "I know. I tell her that everyday. Alright, I got work to do. See ya"

She smiled again as he left and wondered if perhaps it would have been better if she had been friends first with Mac.

* * *

George unrolled a dark purple blanket onto her couch, she shot a look at the wall clock and sighed, it was late and she was tired but a friend in need was a friend in need.

"Hey, you should have let me do that" said Don emerging from her shower, he was wearing her fluffy lilac towelling gown and managing the incredible feat of looking good in it

"That's really sexy" scoffed George when she looked at him

He patted his wet hair with a matching towel "Shut up"

She smirked "Sensitive are we detective?"

He smirked back "Don't make me bring up those Queen tee shirts you have"

She made a face "You're an ass"

They looked at each other for a few minutes, grinning as they were like everything was back to normal. Then George felt the weight of her engagement ring and scrunched up her features "So do you know when your apartment will be back to normal"

Don nodded "Probably by tomorrow, I wouldn't have normally asked y'know I just needed a place to stay"

Atticus bounded in from her bedroom over to Don and jumped about excitedly in front of the detective, Don crouched down to stroke the dog's head, she watched him with a small self indulgent smile, looking at the small beads of water dripping from his still wet hair, she wanted to kiss him. Which of course was a bad idea since she was engaged to another man.

"I'll be out of your hair by early morning" he said gazing up at her

"Yeah of course" she looked away "Well goodnight, I'm going to get some sleep"

Don stood up and scratched his hair "Unless you wanna watch some late night b-movies with me?"

She raised an eyebrow "Don't you have work tomorrow?"

He shrugged "I can't sleep anyway"

George bit her lip and in spite of her better judgement, decided to agree "Sure" she took a discerning look at him "You might want to get dressed first"

He chuckled "Oh yeah"

* * *

Ronnie stubbed out her cigarette on the pavement and stared at her watch "How long does an inspection take anyway?"

Danny smirked and took another puff from his cigarette "One to make sure your house doesn't catch on fire? A while I guess"

She rolled her eyes "They cleared my place and the only two that got caught in the blaze weren't that bad anyway"

"What about the faulty wiring they found?" he said pointedly

Knowing he was right, she chose to ignore him, glancing again at her watch before peering at him "You don't have to stick around y'know. This is all _very _boring"

Danny shrugged and stretched his hands above his heads "Yeah well I was waiting for your brother actually, but now I'm here..."

"If he didn't turn up two hours ago, I doubt he's coming now" said Ronnie she smiled at him "Thanks though, appreciate it"

He glanced at her "Is that a new hair colour? Suits you" he said lightly

She raked a hand self-consciously through her dark hair "Actually this is natural. Even D thought it was fake"

Danny continued to stare at her "Well its really...you look good"

Ronnie wiped her hands on her jeans and wondered how to respond to the comment but he moved on quickly, standing up and holding out a hand.

"Come on up. Lets get you something to eat"

She hesitantly gave him her hand as he pulled her up, he squeezed it for a second "You still like pizza?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?" she grinned and squeezed his hand back "You're paying"

Danny chuckled.

* * *

_A Few Hours Earlier_

Don raised his head only to bang it against something, opening his eyes blearily he realised that the 'something' had been George's head, he gazed down and was pleasantly surprised to find her asleep in his arms and for a brief moment he could pretend that nothing had gone wrong between them and when she inevitably woke up there wouldn't be any bad feeling between them.

He exhaled, his sister was right he needed to move on.

When George woke up that morning she was slightly confused as to why someone was interrupting her perfect dream _just _when it was getting interesting. She gave a slight start when the object of her dreams was staring her right back in the face.

"Flack!" she said quickly and tried to sit up straight but as she was basically in his lap this was no real improvement on her earlier position

"Hey" he said sleepily

She blushed and got unsteadily to her feet "Sorry about that" she said, shyly smoothing down her clothes "I get really clingy when I'm sleeping" she said jokily

He raised an eyebrow but didn't respond "I'm going to make a coffee. I'm supposed to meet Ronnie in a half hour" he stood up and stretched "You want anything?"

George looked thoughtful "Ice chips would be good"

He smirked faintly then headed over to the kitchen, quietly frustrated with their strange relationship he made a decision there and then that no matter what happened he was moving on. Sighing he rummaged around in the kitchen making his coffee and gathering a bowl of ice chips for George, as he waited for his coffee to boil, he remembered Atticus asleep at the foot of the TV.

"George? Where's the dog food?"

When he got no response he assumed she must not have heard him and peered around the kitchen door way "George?"

There was still no response, he furrowed his brow and headed into the lounge where something had gone very wrong, George was sat on the couch holding her stomach, she raised her head and looked at Don, her eyes wide and frightened.

"What's happened?" he asked and hurried over to the couch, sitting beside her

"I don't know...I think they're contractions" she said breathlessly

"But it's only been seven months" he said worriedly and placed his hand on her stomach, his eyes dark with concern "What do you want me to do?"

She winced and bit her lip "Can you call Dr. Romero, his number is on speed dial" she grabbed his hand "Just hurry"

He nodded quickly "You just breath slow and try to relax alright" he squeezed her hand tightly, staring at her briefly, his feelings communicated in that one look

She let out a slow breath "Okay"

He reluctantly let go of her hand and went over to the phone by the wall, pressing speed dial trying to ignore the panic rising in his chest.

* * *

Mac cleared his throat, he hated what he was about to do, especially since he wasn't quite sure why he was doing it but he knew that if he didn't end things with Peyton he was going to end up hurting her.

She re-emerged from the kitchen carrying her refilled glass of red wine she curled up next to him on the couch "What are you thinking of sweetheart?"

Her hand crept up the back of his neck and she kissed his cheek "Mac?"

He blinked and looked at her, she smiled back gently "Are you alright?"

Not knowing what to say he forced himself to look away "I have to tell you something"

She cupped his chin in her palm "What is it?"

He exhaled and met her eye which under the circumstances he thought was the least he could do "I thought that I was ready for this relationship and I'm not"

Her hand fell to her lap she gazed at him sadly "Is this about Claire?"

Mac shook his head "Partially but a lot of it is because...I'm in love with someone else. I've been in love with this person for a long time. I don't know if she feels the same way"

Peyton shifted in her seat, no longer looking at him "Then why were you with me? Please be honest Mac"

"I thought I could move on and forget about her but I can't" he admitted

She swallowed thickly "Who is she?"

He furrowed his brow "I don't think I should..."

"Is it Stella?"

His silence was all the answer she needed, she half smiled trying to hold back her tears "I always knew I'd be second best...I don't know why I was okay with that"

Mac shook his head "You deserve the best. I'm just sorry I can't be that person"

He glanced at her "Would you like me to go?"

"I think that would be best. Yes" finally she brought herself to look at him "Thanks for being honest"

He stood up "Thanks for understanding"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ears "Bye Mac"

As he left Mac hoped that he hadn't made a big mistake, if his feelings for Stella turned out to be wrong then he'd just lost a very special woman.

* * *

"Shit! I can't believe its raining like this" groaned Ronnie, she and Danny were stood sheltered in the door of a pizzeria watching the rain pour down

"Its New York" said Danny as if that explained everything, he scanned his watch "You wanna make a run for it?"

She scoffed "Have you seen my hair? It was not made for rain"

He smirked "Princess"

She made a face "Oh yeah?" then with a squeal she started to run down the street, Danny chuckled and hurried after her

She stopped under the door way of a pawn shop smirking once he caught up with her "You were saying?"

Danny held his hands up in the air "Alright, you're not a princess. I take that back" he looked at her, now soaking wet

"You know what you said about your hair?" he said pointedly

She ran her fingers through her wet hair, chuckling then gestured at his hair "You look like an extra froma very cheesy boy band photo shoot"

He pretended not to have heard her "You wanna wait it out?" he peered out

"Yeah alright"

They were silent for a few minutes, watching fellow New Yorkers run around trying to get out of the rain, after a while Ronnie spoke up.

"You know its rude to stare right?"

Danny smirked "I was just thinking, he ran a hand over his jaw

"About what?"

"Well you. You seeing someone?"

"Maybe" she said suddenly uncomfortable "Why?"

He raised an eyebrow "I'm just asking. You seem pretty happy right now, whoever he..." he smirked "or she is, they're good for you"

Ronnie smiled "Well. Thanks I think. What about you? Seeing anyone?"

Shaking his head he looked at her seriously "No"

She didn't seem convinced for some reason "Okay. Sure"

"What?"

"No, I just mean, I...I spoke to Lindsay she mentioned you two were getting close"

"Oh. So what that means we're seeing each other now?"

"Well you tell me, _you're _the one that asked her out"

Danny peered at her strangely "I didn't and so what if I did? Why is this always an issue?"

She forced a smile "You know what, I don't even know why I brought that up"

He continued to stare at her then exhaled "Alright fair enough. After all I said about me and Lindsay...that looks bad. But nothing happened. I was trying to be a friend and she misread my signals. I cleared it up with her and you can ask her if you want alright?"

Ronnie gazed down at her feet "I'm not gonna do that. It's none of my business"

He cleared his throat, deciding to change to subject "How's D? I heard things have been really heavy for him lately"

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother" she said lamely "I _had _to say that" then she started to laugh, he rolled his eyes trying not to join in but she'd always had an infectious laugh, pretty soon he was laughing along with her

The laughter eased the strange tension that had crept up suddenly just as the clouds were starting to clear.

"Hey, look. The rain is letting up. Ready?" she said

"Ready for what?" he said suspiciously

She grabbed him by the elbow and ran outside, giggling as they weaved in and out of the streets, finally they ended up at Ronnie's apartment where it was clear that the fire inspection had been long finished.

"Thanks for sticking around Messer" she said with a quick cheeky grin

He nodded "Hey, anytime"

He held out a hand and she took it, he hugged her tightly and knew in an instant what he still felt for her, she raised her head, giving him an odd smile.

"You can let go now"

He smiled "I don't think I want to"

Thinking he was joking she tried to wriggle away, laughing in spite of herself "Okay Danny, I'm dripping wet and I need to get inside before I get pneumonia as do _you.."_

He cut her off, kissing her straight on the lips and there and then it was as if nothing had changed. When he reluctantly stopped, she stared at him in shock and it was a few moments before either said anything.

Then she recovered but not in the way he had hoped.

Her eyes narrowed "You're such a fucking..."

He sighed "Ronnie, I know... I know now that you still feel something...I mean you can't deny that"

She glared at him and started to turn towards her building "You're an asshole Danny"

"Ronnie, come on. Wait"

She spun back angrily "I start thinking we can actually be friends after everything that's happened and this is how you act? You're a real fucking asshole"

He watched her storm away and although he wished he'd thought his actions through better but he knew that if he hadn't he would never have known that she still had feelings for him.


	36. St Valentine's Nightmare

**A/N: Supposedly, I'll be away this weekend if I can sort out these STUPID coach ticket websites. Anyway, whatever happens there won't be another post till Monday/Tuesday. Thanks for the reviews and until we next meet...**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Dr. Romero put down his stethoscope and looked at George kindly "Anything else?"

She eyed him curiously "So those were 'fake'?"

"They are normally referred to as Braxton Hicks contractions" he corrected

Don who was sat beside her on the couch, widened his eyes "So she's _not _going into labour?"

The doctor shook his head "Not yet anyway"

George let out a sigh "Well that's great (!)"

Don rubbed her shoulder comfortingly "Thanks doc"

The doctor straightened up "I would recommend taking things slow so near the end of your trimester. Have you been sleeping and eating well?"

George made a face "Well. Sometimes"

The doctor tucked his hands into his suit pockets and looked at Don "As long as she keeps away from anything too strenuous and that _includes_ this wedding you're planning as well as eating and sleeping better... then she should be fine. Can you make sure of that?"

George rolled her eyes "I'm right here you know"

"I know" said the doctor good humouredly "But you don't seem to be taking my advice"

She resisted the urge to make a witty retort "Well, thanks for coming down"

Don stood up to shake the man's hand "I'll make sure she behaves herself" he said smirking when George scoffed indignantly

Once Don had seen Dr. Romero out he went to rejoin George on the couch only to find Atticus had taken his place and was bouncing up and down eagerly at his owner.

"Guess he's happy you're okay too" said Don watching her play with the dog, he tucked his hands into his jean pockets "How are you feeling now?"

George tickled Atticus behind his ears "Better. I really freaked out for a minute back there...and for the record those contractions aren't _mild. _I'd like _him _to try one of them on for size and see how that's _mild_"

He glanced at his wrist watch, remembering he was supposed to have returned home to check whether or not his place had been cleared by the fire inspector, but at that moment he had far more pressing concerns "Well clearly your mouth is still in excellent working order"

She rolled her eyes then flashed him a smile "Thanks for staying"

"What did you think I was gonna do, run off?" he said seriously "I'm not...I care about this kid and what happens to it and you too. Don't ever forget that"

She stared at him for a few seconds, wishing he'd simply said that to her before Orson had come back into her life.

"I'm going to get you and Atticus something to eat, then I'm gonna head off. You promise you'll eat?" he said trying to sound stern then he headed into the kitchen, seemingly satisfied with her nod.

George sat there quietly, still staring at the space he had just occupied.

* * *

"Not you again"

Raising her eyebrows indignantly the lab tech turned around about to give the stranger a piece of her mind only to smile when she saw that it was Mac

"Well is that anyway to greet your favourite employee?" she said brightly

He folded his coat over his arm "I've told you before Ronnie I don't have favourites"

She rolled her eyes "You don't have to lie, no one's here" she said conspiratorially then patted the stool at the diner, right next to hers "Have a seat"

"Sorry, I just came to get a coffee, I'm on the clock, so I can't stay long" he warned, knowing how easily it was to be dragged into a conversation with her, not that he always minded

Ronnie shrugged as he sat down "Fair enough" she continued to twirl her straw around in her milkshake

He watched her do so wryly, wondering at her bad mood "You know what holiday today is?"

"A crappy made up one for consumerist _morons_" she muttered then smirked "Too harsh?"

Mac smiled "If I remember correctly, only last week you sent me a miniature teddy bear thing and said that you loved this holiday because it was so...cheesy and cute at the same time? What changed?"

She made a face "Yeah well..I was being nice. It's _terrible_ and anyway, what about you? Why aren't you celebrating?" she said pointedly

"Point taken" he placed some money down for his coffee and raised his fresh paper cup of coffee to Ronnie "Happy Valentines Day"

She smiled and raised her glass to his cup "The same to you boss"

He patted her affectionately on the shoulder as he left, she watched him go then turned back to her milkshake. She had to tell him, there was nothing for it.

* * *

Adam put down his headphones and glanced over his desk curiously, Ronnie walked over, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sweat pants, apparently she'd just come from the gym.

"Hey" he said smiling, she certainly was a sight for his sore eyes

She seemed vaguely uncomfortable "Hi. I know I'm not working today but I really needed to talk to you. Can you take a quick break?"

He looked around the lab and the amount of work he had to do "How long for?"

"Just five minutes"

He nodded "Alright. But I have to take care of some A/V stuff so can you wait ten minutes?"

She half smiled and he wondered why she seemed suddenly so nervous, he checked that no one was watching then leant over the desk and kissed her.

She seemed surprised but reciprocated warmly, her cheeks tinged with pink "Uhm, okay so ten minutes...meet me on the fifth floor by the vending machine"

When Adam finally made it up to the fifth floor fifteen minutes later, Adam found Ronnie where she said she'd be, by the vending machine, she was leant against the side, her brow deeply furrowed. Clearly there was something troubling her.

"Hey. Got you something" he said and reached into the pocket of his lab coat, retrieving a heart shaped red lollipop

She stared at it and sighed "Adam..."

He shrugged "I know , not _the _greatest Valentine's day gift ever but I felt bad that I was working today. We haven't had a real date yet"

She took the sweet from him "Its not that. This is really cute I just...something happened a couple of days ago and I've been meaning to tell you I just didn't know how to"

"You know you can tell me stuff" he said affectionately "Go ahead"

"Danny kissed me a couple of days ago" she said quickly

"What, he came on to you?"

She felt even worse now by his look of genuine concern "Not exactly...he kissed me but I guess I let it go on for longer than it should have"

He folded his arms "Why are you telling me this?"

She fiddled awkwardly with the sleeves of her top "Adam, I really like you, I'm just trying to be honest here...if we're gonna be seeing each other, I kind of owe it to you"

He went silent, not really looking at her, she stared at him quietly, hoping that this wasn't the end of what had the potential to be a great relationship or their friendship.

"I gotta go. I said five minutes" he said finally

She took a step towards him but he backed away "I'll call you later"

She watched him walk away and as much as she wanted to blame Danny for how guilty she felt that was only half the reason.

* * *

Stella peered around the door to Mac's office "Knock, knock" she said pleasantly

He looked away from his bulletin board "Stella, come on in"

She walked over and stood beside him, staring at the notes on the board for a few minutes, he shot a brief glance at her and had a sudden inexplicable urge to brush a loose strand of hair away from her cheek, but just as he was considering this she turned to him suddenly.

"You think we're any closer to catching this guy?"

He put his hands into the pockets of his navy suit "He's a smart guy, knows how to clean up after himself and a lot of the evidence is...coincidental at best"

She stared at him seriously "You alright?"

Surprised at her sudden switch of subjects he stared back, she looked at him with her gold flecked eyes and it was if all of a sudden she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He forced himself to turn back to the board "It's just this case"

She placed a hand on his shoulder, it was something completely spontaneous but managed to be completely intimate all at the same time.

"You know where I am" she gave him a gentle smile

He nodded appreciatively, then her hand was gone from his shoulder and she had left his office.

* * *

Rubbing the back of his neck, Don stumbled out of his bedroom hoping he wasn't late for his shift. He wandered into the lounge, he caught sight of a clock on the wall and made a face.

He was four hours too early for his shift, rubbing his forehead he wandered out of the front door to see if he had any mail only to find Ronnie sat outside on the front steps smoking.

"I thought you were at your dance class?" he said prodding her with his foot

She raised her head and peered at him "No I..._Eugh,_ Donald, put on a damn shirt. This _isn't _Playgirl"

He rolled his eyes "Fine, I was trying to be nice but whatever"

She stubbed out her cigarette while he went back inside, moments later she followed, settling on the sofa, a tense expression on her face.

Don looked wistfully in the direction of his bedroom, imagining the four hours of sleep he could have then he looked at his downcast sibling and reluctantly turned away from the bedroom.

"Alright, whats up?" he sat down next to her

She shrugged her shoulders "Nothing, I'm just a little tired"

He prodded her with his elbow "Come on, I'm lending you my ear. This is a one time offer, free if you cook dinner tonight"

Ronnie exhaled quietly "You promise not to react or break anyone's legs?"

Don put on a mock-solemn expression "I promise. Let me get a tee shirt on first"

She agreed vehemently "And not to soon, thats the last time I ever want to see your freaky nipples"

He scoffed and headed off to get changed, returning moments later now in a black tee shirt, he sat back down on the couch.

"Alright spill"

She looked at him hesitantly "I _think _that I've just been dumped and I kissed someone I shouldn't have"

Don who had been unaware of the fact she was even seeing anyone up until that point groaned "This is the part where I regret asking you what was wrong. "

She pulled her knees up to her chest "Okay, forget it"

"Alright I'm sorry. I'm listening. Go ahead"

"Danny kissed me a couple of days ago, I told the guy I was seeing-Adam and he...well he basically ran a mile"

Don stared at her "The same Danny that broke your heart? The same Danny that's my friend? And _Adam _the guy you work with?" he said incredulously

She pouted crossly "Well I didn't ask for any of this to happen and _yeah, _I do realise how much of a bad soap opera my life is turning out to be"

He put an arm around her shoulder and tried to remember what George had told him about not being too overprotective "Okay..so Danny kissed you, I thought you two were over each other"

"That's what I thought! Then he did that and it was like everything was back to the way it was...but I still really like Adam and I can't just forget what happened with me and Danny or why we broke up" she said in one breath

"Well if you ask me, you can do _way _better"

She rolled her eyes "Here we go..."

"But...you need to make a decision and I get that. So...maybe you need to stay away from those two for a little while. Give yourself some space to think"

Ronnie raised her eyebrows, surprised by how calm he was being "That actually makes sense. Y'know coming from _you_"

"Ha, ha" he said and squeezed her shoulder "Listen, whatever you decide, I've got your back"

She cooed "Aw. Thanks D" she squeezed him back "You know what, you've made my bad week just that little bit more tolerable"

He snorted "You wanna talk about bad weeks? For the record, my bad week trumps yours. In love with your pregnant sort of ex-girlfriend and co-worker who is getting re-married to the secret ex-husband you didn't know she had? _Then _you win but until then..."

She was silent for a few moments then responded "For the _record_" she mimicked "You don't get to use that to win choice of what we're watching on TV or to win every other argument"

Don chuckled ruefully

"Damn"


	37. Feeling The Heat

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming. I'm glad you're all enjoying this so much in keeping with that spirit...here's the next one.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Glancing at her watch and then the man asleep across the hall, Stella smiled to herself then headed into the office, she turned on the lights and went over to Mac's desk.

"Mac?"

He was fast asleep in his chair, his eyes shut and his tie loose he looked more at peace than she'd seen him in months, she stood by him and ran her fingers over the fine stubble on his cheek.

"Mac?" she whispered "Wake up"

She nudged his shoulder and his eyes snapped open, for a second he was disorientated then he relaxed on seeing her.

"This is officially proof that you _need _some time off" she said and planted her hands on her hips

He sat up and stifled a yawn "When I finish this case"

Stella stared at him sternly "I'm worried about you Mac"

He stood up carefully and nodded appreciatively "I know you are, but I'm fine. Honestly"

She let her hands fall and closed the space between them, she closed her fingers around his tie and started to straighten it. He went silent, listening to her breathe gently and the faint beat of her heart, when she was done she stood back and admired her handiwork. Her eyes locked with his dark brown ones, they shared a slow smile.

"Stella..."

"Mac..."

He smiled again "You go first"

"Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" she said without skipping a beat and as if he wasn't sure of what she'd just said, Stella added; "As in a date"

Mac nodded "I got that part...I was about to ask you actually"

She chuckled and tucked an errant curl behind her ear "So?"

"I'd love to"

* * *

Struggling with a box filled with various shoes for an experiment and battling the inexplicable heat that had permeated the entire department Ronnie precariously made her way down the hall, shooting apologies at passer bys who would be on the receiving end of the passing lab tech and her oddly balanced box of shoes.

"Whoa. Need some help?"

Tilting up on her heels she looked over the box, her eyes locking with Danny's "No I'm fine" she insisted

He sighed, knowing full well the reason for her stubbornness "You can hardly see over it. Pass it here alright?"

She squeaked indignantly "I'm not _that_ short and I _can_ handle this"

He slid his hands under the box to hold it up, covering hers at the same time, she let go a fraction later, unable to ignore that even a simple brief touch like that sparked something in her, but she told herself it was just the weather and shut off that part of her mind.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, peering at her, watching her wipe a bead of perspiration from her forehead

"The layout room, Mac's doing an experiment" she said as they started to walk towards the room together

He chose that moment to call her out on her reaction to his spontaneous kiss only four days ago and he was _definitely _counting but despite a pressing need to re-enact it he new that it would take time before she willingly admitted her feelings. He shot a sneaky glance at her, running his eyes over her figure; she was worth the wait.

"I wanna apologise. For what I said and did a few days back, I don't regret one part of it but I shouldn't have sprung everything on you like that"

Ronnie raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything, clearly he would be in her bad books for a while, it would take a lot more than an apology to get her to listen.

They finally arrived at the lay out room where Mac had yet to arrive and like everywhere else in the department on that busy day it was was sweltering hot and seriously lacking in air conditioning. Spotting a clear space Danny put the box of shoes down on an a well lit table quietly amused as she stalked around the table looking incredibly sexy while doing it.

"Okay, thanks. You can go now" she said dismissively and started taking each shoe out of the box

He let out a low chuckle knowing that if she was _really _pissed at him she'd have really told him where to go instead of letting him help her. He started for the door, casting a look over his shoulder at her and almost bumping into Adam who was just walking in.

"Hey man" he said brightly only to get an odd look from the younger man and a surly;

"Yeah" in response

Danny raised an eyebrow and looked over at Ronnie, she seemed flushed and nervous, both of which were as rare from her as was a genuine bad mood from Adam. He started to make his way out of the layout room and it was only when he was in the elevator heading to the ground floor that he started to grow suspicious.

"Mac called you here too?" said Ronnie conversationally

Adam exhaled "I guess so" he was feeling the heat too and it had done nothing to aid his confused mind "I got a call earlier from Betty Z"

"That SuicideGirl you dated?" she asked sounding perplexed

He shrugged "I guess she says she made a mistake, wants us to get back together. I don't know...I think, I still like her"

Ronnie gaped at him then started to laugh, she rubbed the crown of her head "Damn Ross, what are we doing here?"

He smirked and looked at her pointedly "To be fair, you're the one who professed her love for me _first_"

"A crush! It was just a..." she realised the stupidity of her own actions and let out another sigh "...crush"

He leant against a table "See. I was right, the inevitable harmless crush that y'know practically _all _friends get on each other, I mean you and Chad must have..."

She made a face and giggled "Never. We were like twins. He was my brother from another mother...but you and I well we didn't know each other and..."

Adam raised an eyebrow "...We got stupid" he said

They shared a smile, he walked over to her side of the table "Really stupid"

"I guess we're better off friends"

"With benefits?"

She elbowed him playfully, pulling on a mock disapproving expression "For the record, I was way out of your league anyway"

He rolled his eyes "You wish Flack, it was really me out of your league"

She held out her hand and he took it, shaking it firmly, she looked at him affectionately, she wished she hadn't messed up their friendship simply because she'd mistook a real friendship for something else.

"Best friends forever?" he insisted with a straight face

"Of course but...you think we can get past this?" she asked hesitantly

He hugged her "No hard feelings" he grinned "And besides you're a good kisser, I don't regret that"

"Right back at ya" she retorted with a matching grin

Mac cleared his throat causing the two lab techs to jump apart and share a chagrined expression at their boss' stern one.

"Am I interrupting?"

"No sir" said Adam sheepishly

Mac smiled faintly "Lets get started then"

* * *

"Fuck! Is _everybody_ getting married in this damn city?" proclaimed Don loudly

He sat his fork down on his plate of pasta and stared agape at his sister Izzy and Sheldon, not at all caring that his booming voice was irritating some nearby people eating at the same café.

Sheldon looked sheepish "It was sort of a spontaneous thing we did, we love each other and we thought...why wait?"

Izzy clutched her new husband's hand and looked at her younger brother hopefully "But then we got back down to Earth and we realised that some people might not take it well so we decided to tell you all one at a time. Together" she and Sheldon shared a look of affection "We just want you to be happy for us"

Don sighed "I suppose its great and all that you aren't fucking her around" he grumbled

"I promise you, I love your sister and intend to be with her for the rest of my life. Or at least till the money runs out" joked Sheldon, eliciting a grin from Izzy and a mean stare from Don

"C'mon D. Just say you're happy for me" said Izzy encouragingly, she held out her hand and squeezed her brother's hand

He made a face then started to smile "Alright, alright but I can't believe you did it in a registry office. You couldn't have just invited a couple of the family along?"

Sheldon was relieved that Don had taken the news well, much better than Ros the eldest of the Flack siblings had. After a long rant about how it was all an elaborate ruse to get out of having a 'real wedding' thus avoiding Ros as a maid of honour but finally like Don and Izzy's parents, she too had come around. Now all that was left was Ronnie but he doubted she'd be too much trouble.

"So can I make a toast?" suggested Izzy holding up her organic glass of grapefruit

Sheldon smiled lovingly at her "Go ahead sweetheart"

Don made a face even if he was was secretly very happy that his sister had found someone who didn't make him suspect they were growing suspicious herbs in their back garden. It was clear that she and Sheldon genuinely respected and loved each other.

"To new beginnings and a beautiful husband" she said kissing Sheldon

The trio toasted their glasses together and drank to Izzy's toast, after a while Don got up, scanning his watch "Well this was fun but I gotta jet. See you two later alright?"

He kissed Izzy's cheek while she and Sheldon bid him a good day, then he was gone down the street, in the sweltering heat of the day he could imagine a time when he was seriously considering marrying George but it now seemed so long ago that it was almost as if the brief time they'd spent together had never happened.

He spotted a curvy blonde in a pink dress giving him a flirtatious once over, George was getting married, would it be so bad if he went on one date?

* * *

Orson held out a slice of cake to George "This is compliments of the Senator, he had this cake when he married my mother"

She moved over to his side of the kitchen and took a bite "This is..._amazing_" she reached for the rest of the slice "We should have this"

Orson nodded and brushed his fingers over her bump "I can't wait for this little one to come out. We can have a page boy or girl for the wedding"

At the mention of the baby George suddenly felt queasy again, she'd been avoiding the moment for so long but it was hard for her to turn Orson away after all that had happened between them. He'd been the first man she'd ever loved and she'd married him expecting their future to be perfect yet it hadn't been but he was back again and ready to be with her.

Only now she wasn't so sure she wanted to be with him.

"I can't do this" she said suddenly and in her heart of hearts she knew that _this _was the right decision

"We can have another cake" said Orson distractedly, he wasn't apparently really listening to her and was focused on opening another sample box of cake

"Orson. Look at me" she said firmly

He brought his eyes to hers and he understood, he always had. "You don't want to get married"

She shook her head and took his hand "I love you but...its not the same way as it used to be. It can't be"

He tightened his hold on her hand and nodded "You have to make your own way. I didn't respect that before"

George felt tears pricking at her eyes, he wiped one away and smiled a bittersweet smile "Don't be upset, its not good for the baby"

She swallowed thickly "I want you to be a part of its life. You're still important to me"

Orson kissed her cheek "You can count on it"

* * *

**A/N: Bonus chapter to follow...please review both. Thanks!**


	38. Before The Storm

**A/N: Bonus chapter as promised. Thanks for reading, please review AND...enjoy. Warning: Language.**

* * *

Straightening his tie whilst choking down a cream cheese smothered bagel and trying to answer the door all at the same time, Don hated being late but he'd forgotten all about the clocks being set forward much to Ronnie's amusement, sometimes he wondered if she had been switched at birth and was simply there to mock him.

"Hey man" said Danny when Don finally and haphazardly managed to open the front door

"She's in her room" said Don brushing past the CSI

Danny raised his eyebrow "I could have been here to see you y'know"

Don scoffed "Yeah and I'm Christina Aguilera" he hurried down the front steps only to suddenly remember something "If you hurt my baby sister again, you're gonna deal with me. You got it?"

The other man nodded solemnly "I got it"

Satisfied that Danny genuinely meant what he said, Don rushed off for good this time. Danny entered the apartment and shut the door behind him, just as he did, Ronnie emerged, lugging a suitcase with her, she froze at the sight of Danny, her heart beat speeding up.

He took in her white tank top, snug around her breasts and the bright orange boy shorts she was wearing and then he too had a case of a dry mouth.

"What are you doing here?" she said, one arm going across her chest to cover her lack of a bra

"Your brother let me in, I wanted to uh apologise" he ruffled his hair and didn't look at her for a few seconds, trying to remember what exactly he wanted to say, he watched her put down the suitcase, one arm still over her chest

"You leaving town?"

"Just for the weekend to visit Chad-is this urgent? Coz I need to pack"

"I'm sorry I sprung that kiss on you and all that other stuff about us, I probably could have thought that through a little" he said, sounding vaguely sheepish

She was non-plussed "Water under the bridge. Is that all coz I..."

"It doesn't mean I didn't want to kiss you or that I don't think you're the best thing that ever happened to me" he said, now free from distractions, he was ready to start being honest with her

She became scornful "Is that right? What next, now you want us to get back together?"

He stared back still as serious as before "Yeah, I do"

Ronnie walked over to the kitchenette and for a brief moment his eyes lingered on her lower half, he _definitely _missed that.

He followed her into the kitchen, silent as she picked a soda from the refrigerator then slammed it shut, clearly irritated she turned to face him.

"I really have things to do, maybe you should leave now"

"You're not gonna listen?" he said

She scoffed "What could you possibly have to say that's gonna interest me?"

"I think I'm in love with you"

Her blue eyes became wide with surprise, she tensed up and took a step back "Don't..."

He held her gaze, all he'd expected to do was apologise and hopefully that would have been the first step to amending their relationship but now he'd said what he'd said, he was suddenly unsure of what to do next.

"I don't think...I _know _I love you...and it doesn't freak me out anymore y'know...but it scares you doesn't it?" he said with unexpected clarity

She started to shake her head "Please just leave. _Now_" she wasn't prepared to deal with the wave of emotions that he brought out in her, it wasn't something she was used to

But he made no signs of leaving, he wasn't about to let her avoid things again "I know you think you can't trust me and you're pissed at me all those things wouldn't be true if you didn't want this as much as I do, you-"

She cut him off brusquely "Did you say that you 'loved' Lindsay too, but let me guess she shot you down?"

He gaped at her "What are-"

"No" she snapped, interjecting again "Now I get to say my piece. You don't love me" she said accusingly

"You just want what you can't have. I've known guys like you all my life and you don't _fall in love _with girls like me. You fall in love with girls like Lindsay" she finished with a bitter expression on her face

Stunned into silence they continued to look at each other, the heavy tension in the air unlikely to be lifted any time soon. He'd never seen her in that state before and it quickly hit him that she'd never quite had closure with what had happened in her past but as compassionate as he felt about that he was angry too at the picture she'd painted of him.

"I'm not Stuart Grant" he spoke, clearly and firmly "I am _nothing _like that scumbag, he's a bastard and he treated you like shit and I know that but where do you get off comparing us? You really see me like that?"

From the look on her face she couldn't have been more hurt if he'd hit her

"Where do you get off bringing that up?" she shot back harshly "You don't get to talk to me like that. Get out, _now_"

"Oh I get it, this is classic you. Running at the first sign of trouble" he sniped

"Stay. Out. Of. My. Life" she said warningly, her eyes glittering with the threat of tears "Just stay away"

"We work together" he said pointedly

She inhaled quickly, trying to regain control of the situation and her emotions while he struggled with his own thoughts, he hated seeing her so upset but he needed to get everything out in the open, once and for all and at least he would learn where he stood but by the looks of things he wasn't gonna like the answer.

"I know that and I can't avoid that but I don't want you in my life alright?" she said coolly

"That's how you really feel?

"That's how I really feel"

He knew when he was fighting a losing battle and started to back away "Fine, you don't have to worry about me anymore alright?"

"Fine" she said flatly

She watched him storm out without a backwards glance and exhaled, sinking down onto the floor she allowed the tears she'd been holding back to fall.

* * *

Entering the restaurant with an uncertain look around the room, Mac wished he'd booked dinner for somewhere less pretentious, as he was lead to his table by the maitre d he felt another pang of anxiety, he wasn't beyond thinking that Stella might stand him up but then when he reached his table and saw her sitting there just as early as he was, all worries evaporated.

She stood up, showcasing a slender figure in a club green halter dress, her hair pinned up for once

"You're early" she said and leant across the table, kissing his cheek

"So are you" he retorted once they had sat down

She blushed "I guess I couldn't wait"

They fell silent for a few moments, taking each other in.

Then Mac spoke "You look beautiful"

Stella shrugged modestly "Not so bad yourself there"

He looked at her, unable to contain his relief that she was there and it was _finally _happening "I've been looking forward to this for a long time"

"Its been a long time coming" she stared at him "You ever thought we'd even get to a first date?" she said not bothering to skirt around the issue of the feelings they'd had for each other

"It wasn't like there weren't reasons not to do this" he said honestly

She didn't break his gaze "I'm glad we ignored them then" she winked and picked up a menu, ready to order

Mac did the same, a smile on his face.

* * *

George sighed and leant against the elevator walls "I really shouldn't have come out here"

"You know how I hate to say I told you so" said Don without a trace of smugness he gave her a considering look, she was clearly not following the advice of her doctor about getting enough rest

"I had to pick up some of my case files and do write up" she said defensively, crossing her arms across her now ample chest

He sighed and leant against the opposite wall to hers "You coulda let me get it for you. I do work here"

"Are we really gonna do this?" she snapped irritably

He raised his eyebrows and didn't respond, she had been getting more and more temperamental lately but he blamed that on the pregnancy, once she had the baby everything would be back to normal. Whatever that was.

They were silent for a few moments as the elevator creaked and whined then came to an almost predictable juddering halt.

"Crap" muttered George, she raked a hand through her hair, this was definitely not what she needed at this stage in her pregnancy

Don sighed and headed over to the emergency box and jabbed at it "Hello? Trapped in an elevator with a pregnant woman here" he said into it

There was a loud crackle as the voice of an older man with a thick accent came over the intercom "Lemme guess, youse guys are in elevator fifteen. Christ that place is always giving me trouble. Lucky for you I'm nearby, give me ten minutes"

"Alright thanks" said Don, the intercom went off and he turned to look at George "He said..." he trailed off, she was sat down on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain

"Is it another one of those contractions?" he said worriedly, making his way to her sie he knelt down on the floor and put his arm around her back to support her

"I doubt it since my water just broke" she said breathlessly and jerked her head back wincing at the pain, he panicked, suddenly forgetting everything he'd learnt in the antenatal classes

"Christ. You serious? Shit...I mean...wow" he mumbled, gazing at her dazedly

She glared at him, trying to remember to watch her breathing "Be useful. Now, please"

He jumped up "Yeah, yeah of course" he tried his phone but the signal was terrible, then he went back to the service box and pressed frantically at its buttons but he got no response, trying to think straight he hurried back to his crouched position next to George

"Okay uh there's no reply but that's probably because he's on his way, we just have to wait ten minutes then we can get you to the hospital. You think you can uh...hold it in till then?" he suggested lamely

George gave him a dirty look, reminding herself to tease him mercilessly for that comment once she had the baby.

"Just start timing the contractions" she said, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and grabbed her hand, she squeezed down painfully hard, but he was too energised to notice, they were about to have a child together.

* * *

**A/N: As for the angst in this chapter its necassary! Believe me, things have to get worse before they get better. Other than that, the title for 'Who needs actions...' is the album title from a UK artist called 'Plan B'.**


	39. X & Y

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and all but I can't believe none of you mentioned Ronnie & Danny's fight?I know George & Don had more pressing issues to deal with but still! Perhaps you've had too much of Ronnie/Danny? Well anyway, this is for the most part George and Don centric.**

**Lastly, believe me, no one is as sick of DL stories as I am. Not only are 99 percent basically the same plot (to be fair, some _are_ written quite well if you can put aside your hatred of 'the Lindsay' ; ) but there's a large number that exaggerate Lindsay's character, she's waaay out of canon whenever I have the misfortune to stumble on some Dl. Anyway, rant over.**

**I'll be revamping some of the earlier chapters and correcting things, no major changes just some editing and grammar checks I really should have done a while ago. Check my user page for more info on this story.**

**Review all the recent chapters SEPERATELY if you can and...**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Staring up at the New York sky line, admiring the glittering night lights and the outline of her home on the skyline, Stella sighed happily "You have a beautiful view. I never really noticed that before" she said 

Mac was stood beside her, holding a glass of red wine "I got lucky when I brought it" he murmured, not at all interested in the view

Stella met his eye and smiled faintly, she found herself blushing under his gaze. Now that they were finally here, finally on a date and she'd come over all uncharacteristically shy. Perhaps it was the anticipation that had lead up to their date or the worry that it would all go wrong.

"I really had a good time tonight Mac" she said softly

"I didn't realise we had that much to talk about but I was glad we got to" he said with a small smile. After the dinner at the restaurant they'd walked around the city simply talking and sharing their lives with each other, it had gone much better than either had expected but now neither was sure where to go next.

Stella moved away from the window and sat down on the couch, her long legs crossed over "So what happens now?" she said, twirling a bracelet around her slender wrist

He raised his eyebrows and then smiled, realising what she was referring to "This is going to be weird for a while"

She started to smile and looked at him "I know, but I _do want _us to have..." she struggled for the right word "Something. A relationship. I could...I'd really like that"

Mac joined her on the couch "I'm fine with taking everything a step at a time"

They looked at each other, sharing another smile and then she started to nod slowly "I'd like that"

She chuckled quietly "I guess I better get home then"

He cupped her cheek tentatively in his hand "There is one thing that can't wait, however"

She smirked, a warm rush of electricity crackling through her under his intense gaze "What would that be?"

Mac hesitated briefly, taking in her inviting smile and the soft scent of perfume in her hair then he planted a searing, lingering kiss on her lips.

As the kiss ended, his fingers sought the curls in her hair "I've wanted to do that for a long time" he said

Stella returned the kiss with equal intensity, when she pulled away she smirked at the traces of lipstick on his mouth and ran a finger over his lips, wiping the stains away.

There was another kiss shared by the two of them and this time, there was no doubt in either mind that it was what they both wanted.

They'd taken the first step.

* * *

Dressed in green scrubs and peering about bemusedly, Don hovered nervously at George's bed side, exhilarated, overwhelmed and quietly anxious all at the same time. 

"I can't believe..." he trailed off struggling to form an accurate description of what he felt

George lay quietly in the hospital bed, drawn and tired from the birth, he gazed down at her in quiet awe. Amazed that she'd given him a son only moments ago, it was a day and a feeling that would never leave him no matter what happened between them later on.

Her normally springy hair was lank and her skin pale, she was clearly exhausted but her main concern was the health of the son she'd just given birth to, the one she'd had yet to hold.

"It's gonna be okay right?"

Don was unsure how to answer, he took her hand and held it in his as they impatiently watched the small cluster of medical professionals made up of a couple of obstetricians, an anaesthetist nurse and a midwife, they were stood around an incubator quietly talking. Finally one obstetrician; a kindly looking red haired man, came over.

"You did a great job" he said and stood at the head of the bed, flipping through George's health chart

"Your son is gonna be fine. He's moderately premature and of course there are some medical issues involved with any premature baby but at his stage and with the technology we have there's no reason why he shouldn't leave with you in about a month full developed"

The new parents both let out sighs of relief, George sat up straighter "He doesn't have any illnesses does he?"

The obstetrician shook his head "We'll run some tests but for the moment he seems fine. We've stabilized him and placed him in the incubator to help him along"

Don started to smile, relief flooding through him "Can we look at him?"

"Of course, let me just check how Ms. Wheil is doing" replied the doctor, he gestured at the midwife and while he examined George's temperature and pulse the midwife carefully wheeled the plastic isolette over to them.

Don gripped George's hand tighter as they had their first real look at their son, he resembled most babies at that stage, bright pink in colour, squinting and clutching at air with tiny figures.

Don grinned and let go of George's hand, he crouched close to the incubator "That's our _son_" he said softly, breath taken to finally see the fruition of months of grainy images, prenatal classes and medical exams take shape in one living breathing little human being.

George sat up slightly, also gazing at her newborn "He's so small and...squinty"

Don scoffed, about to disagree then he chuckled lightly "Yeah, you're right"

The doctor studied the two parents approvingly "Ms. Wheil you seem to be doing fine, I'll give you a few minutes alone then we'll move him to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It's much quieter and far better for your son's progress"

George let out a breath "Okay. Yeah"

The doctor and the midwife headed off, leaving the parents in silence as they observed their newborn, both overwhelmed and enthralled by what their son represented for their lives and all the new changes he would bring.

Don lowered down, peering in closer, his breath fogging up the plastic "Y'know he's gonna need a name"

She smiled at him "That's all up to you remember?"

He raised his eyebrows and suddenly was reminded of something "Christ, we've gotta call Orson, I can't believe I forgot to call him"

George flushed, no longer looking at the baby "Uh. He's...we're not together anymore"

Don turned to face her in surprise "Oh uh. I'm sorry. What happened?"

She rolled her eyes dismissively "Forget about it. It's...it ended amicably. I'm fine" then swiftly changed the subject "What about baby names? We gotta name him sometime"

He picked up on the topic easily, moving a little away from the incubator "Is this all fine with your faith? I mean, do we have to wait before we name him?"

She smirked, pulling up the bed sheets "Flack as you can tell by the baby I've just had out of wedlock I'm not exactly an orthodox Jew"

He smirked back "Alright, don't give me attitude" he fell silent returning his focus on his son, his heart swelling with pride

"Look at him...he's..."

"Perfect" she murmured, then a smile spread across her face "He's trying to see us. Bring him closer"

Don did as she asked, carefully gripping the incubator and gently moving it so it was directly beside George, he stood on one side while she lay in bed on the other side.

"His got my eyes" mused Don, he wore a worried expression "Should he be so quiet?"

George was about to respond when their son let out a loud wail, then she started to feel a little calmer but she suspected that until she could hold the child in her arms and take him home with her she wouldn't take a full breath.

Their midwife returned as if on cue and beamed at them both "Hey I'm Lisa" she looked down at their newborn and chuckled "He's got some lungs on him"

Don grinned happily "That's my boy"

"Alright, we better start wheeling him off so we can get him eating" said Lisa she nodded at them "You ready?"

George looked at Don "Stay with him alright?"

They shared an emotional look and he nodded comfortingly "You'll be just down the hall"

He gently pressed his lips against her forehead suddenly "I'm so proud of you y'know?"

She flushed faintly, her eyes falling on her bawling son and then Lisa

"I guess we better start"

* * *

Later that same day; Don dropped his coat on the floor of George's hallway, not bothering with the coat rack, he whistled and looked about the apartment, then remembered that Atticus was with George's neighbour. 

Exhaling, he took a moment to sit down in the lounge and reflect on the previous day.

He was now the father of a new born son, he exhaled and rubbed his forehead, it was still all _just _sinking in, but he didn't have too much time to contemplate the weight of what had just happened.

He'd left George and the baby back in the hospital so he could collect an overnight bag for her, tidy up her apartment and try to call all the various immediate family members that needed to be called.

He sank further back into the chair and gazed around, there was very little that suggested the woman living there was about to have a baby and he realised just how little time he and George had spent preparing for the child. They'd let too much of their own personal problems get in the way.

Finally getting up he went about his various tasks, making himself an extra strong coffee in the process although he doubted he needed any help in keeping awake.

Feeling much more refreshed after a shower in the en suite bathroom, George redressed in a fresh hospital gown, her mind replaying the two day's events.

She unlike her son; would get to leave in a day or so and as much as she knew that the hospital stay was all in his best interests she still worried, she worried about how unprepared she was for the new life she was about to face, she worried about what her parents would say once Don contacted them, it was what she did, she worried.

"Hey" said Don looking up at her, she noticed a fresh bunch of white stardust flowers in a glass vase on her bedside table top.

He was sat on a brown leather chair by her bed looking as serious as she felt but when he saw her, he immediately brightened

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go back home and get some rest" she said sternly but was quietly glad he'd returned

He shrugged amiably "I really couldn't sleep anyway. I packed you some things, they're in the drawer" he gestured to the drawers at the other side of the bed from his seat

She smiled gratefully and walked over to the bed "Thanks. Did you manage to call our families?"

He nodded and helped her into the sheets, one hand supporting her back the other holding her hand. She had to give him credit, he'd really matured fast.

"Yeah" he finally answered "Lucky it's three a.m so no one answered but believe me, they'll be putting their two cents in when they get my messages"

She chuckled wryly "I guess this pregnancy was a big pill for people to swallow"

He rolled his eyes "The only people that matter in this are you, me and our son" he gave her a look of such surprising intensity that she wished she could match, but she didn't know how to tell him quite how she felt

"I mean it" he added

She started to nod in agreement then stifled a yawn "I'm so tired"

"I'll bet" he scoffed, lightening up

"You don't have to stick around. Get a cab and get some sleep" she insisted

He declined yet again "I'm perfectly fine here" he paused thoughtfully "We still don't have a name for this kid"

George shifted down in the bed as far as she could "Pull up a chair" she said brightly, he chuckled, hesitating only once before kicking off his sneakers and climbing onto the bed.

At first they fit uncomfortably with George's bump in the way but after she faced away from him, he lay nestled behind her, pulling the covers over them, now much more comfortable.

"Thanks for the flowers" she whispered, feeling more relaxed than she'd felt in a long time, his heart beat gently against her back, his breath soft and warm on the nape of her neck

Don tentatively wrapped an arm across her torso then stopped worrying as she didn't resist it, he pressed a kiss on the back of her neck, his pride of her achievement and his love given in that one kiss. She smiled pleasurably, a shiver going down her spine and shut her eyes.

"We can pick names later" he said drowsily into the curls of her dark hair

"Okay" she murmured sleepily "Goodnight Dad" she teased

He smirked faintly "Goodnight Mom"

George reached over for the lamp, still held close by Don then she turned it off; the room went dark and minutes later, the new parents were fast asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully I don't give birth for a loooong time so I decided not to do a birth scene as I'm not so informed by the whole process and everyone I asked for advice looked at me as if I had 'something to tell them' so I had to rely on Wiki and various internet trawling for some useful tips on premature babies.**

**So, did I handle that plotline relatively well? ; )**


	40. The Premiere

**A/N: Wow! A hundred reviews. -Dances like nobodies watching!-**

**This is the first time I've got that many since I started in 2004/2004. So I'd like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all the reviewers. **

**Keep reading and keep having fun with this story, as long as you do that I don't mind if I only get one review at a time (although obviously, I'm not going to say no to an extra ten ; ). THANKS!**

**Now that speech is over...**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

With their fingers interlocked, Sheldon and Izzy walked alongside Ronnie down hospital aisles, clutching respectively; a bouquet of flowers, a small jewellery box and a box of chocolates. All excited about meeting the latest member of the Flack family.

"Well Doc, I guess this means you're no longer the rookie in the Flack gang. Baby Flack has totally stolen your thunder" smirked Ronnie she ran her fingers through her hair, still mussed from the early morning flight from Vegas she'd taken when she'd gotten Don's message about George going into labour.

Izzy smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek "Well you're still pretty special to me"

Sheldon gave his wife an affectionate smile "One day we're gonna have one of our own little ones" he murmured into her ear

Ronnie made a face when she caught sight of the couple "You two are _so _in love. It's sickening"

"I'll take that as a compliment" grinned Izzy brightly

After hopping into an elevator the trio finally reached the maternity floor where unsurprisingly a group of well wishers had accumulated outside, including the Flack siblings father who was talking loudly about oil prices to George's uncomfortable looking parents, then there was Mac engaged in a serious conversation with Ros about the media's involvement with the police, then finally was Danny sharing a joke with Ronnie's mother.

"Yeesh. Suddenly I wanna leave" muttered Ronnie, making a face

Izzy swung an arm around her sister "Come on little V suck it up"

Ronnie lightly elbowed her sister then inhaled deeply as they headed into the midst of the group.

Angela; the matriarch of the Flack family was petite, with dark curly hair and surprisingly quiet making it clear that it was her husband from where her children had inherited their outspokenness. She was the first to greet Izzy, Ronnie and Sheldon sweeping them each into a hug and playfully chiding them for not visiting home more frequently. Danny noticeably made himself scarce during tis time under the guise of getting drinks for everyone.

"Christ is everyone here?" exclaimed Ros with a mock frown, she air kissed Ronnie and Izzy and then went to find a bathroom, her stiletto heels clicking loudly.

Ronnie left her mother, Izzy and Sheldon to discuss their wedding with Mac whilst she went to greet her father, he gave her a smile and pulled her into a side hug.

"Ben, Kat, I want you to meet my little girl Veronica" said Sam, who was tall and serious with dark hair peppered with grey, of all his children Ros and Don looked the most like him.

Benjamin Wheil stiffly nodded in Ronnie's direction while Katrina flashed her a warm smile and held out a hand "It's a pleasure to meet you Veronica"

Ronnie shook the other woman's hand "Same here. You guys must be so proud of George, she's like family to us y'know?"

"Thrilled" muttered Ben flatly

* * *

While their families were getting acquainted with each other, George and Don were about to hold their son for the very first time in the quiet surroundings of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Their midwife Lisa, ushered them in and they gazed around watching a few medical professionals checking on the roomful of other premature infants, as well as a couple of parents dotted around here and there.

"Its kind of weird in here" said George quietly, she felt uncomfortable in the scrubs and medical gloves they had to wear but didn't mind so long as it kept her son safe

Don gently squeezed her shoulder "I don't care how it looks as long as it gets him healthy"

She made an agreeable noise then started to smile as Lisa lead them over to their baby, he was making a few grizzly noises but seemed fine.

Lisa gently lifted the infant out of the incubator and held him out to a nervous looking George, Don must have sensed her uncertainty because he gave her an encouraging smile.

She exhaled and let Lisa place the baby in her arms, he was wrapped in soft blanketing and had faint dark downy hair on his small head.

She lifted him up close and kissed his forehead "He's so gorgeous"

Don smiled and stroked the baby's cheek "Adrian"

"What?" said Lisa blankly "No-no. My name is _Lisa_"

"I _know_" said Don giving her a strange look then he turned to George "What do you think about Adrian?"

She furrowed her brow "You're not just thinking that because of Rocky are you?"

Don chuckled, still gazing at his son "_No._ I really like it, its kind of Italian, you can't tease him for it...he just looks like an Adrian. So how about it?"

George kissed her son's forehead "Adrian Flack. I think I like it"

Lisa grinned "Well I guess I better get you a birth certificate to sign. But first things first" she lead them over to a chair by a window that let in a little sunshine through it's gauze screen

George sat down, still holding Adrian while Don stood beside her "What now?" she asked hesitantly

"You start breastfeeding. Some women pick it up easier than others but you should be fine" said Lisa she nodded "Go ahead"

Don looked down at her "You want me to leave?"

She blushed but shook her head "No, it's cool. You've seen my breasts before...kind of the reason why I'm here" she joked

He smirked "Then I'm glad I saw 'em"

Lisa left after George started, in order to get the birth certificate while Don waited patiently by while she breastfed an eager Adrian. When she was done she rearranged her clothes and beamed down at Adrian who was now making more positive noises.

"He's okay now, I guess I'm gonna have to get used to that" she said sucking in her cheeks

Don crouched down to the level of the armrest and peered at Adrian "You know, he needs a dreaded middle name if he's gonna be a _true _Flack"

"Here, you have him for a sec" she suggested knowing Don was anxious to hold his son

Don straightened up and held Adrian, grinning from ear to ear as he clutched the small bundle in his arms "Wow" he muttered

She smiled and placed her elbow on the arm rest, propping her head up as she watched father and son "Now, what were you saying about middle names?"

"Uh..you pick and make it a good one" he said, holding up his son and smiling at him

"Leopold" she said suddenly "When I was a kid that was what I was gonna name my first child. It's sort of German and it means 'bold people'. What do you think?"

Don gave her an approving nod "I think I really like it and people could call him Leo" he grimaced and added "Much better than _Eugene_"

George chuckled and sighed happily.

* * *

After Adrian had fallen asleep and been placed back into his incubator, Lisa alerted George and Don to their waiting guests.

"You've got quite the fan club" she said with a wry smirk

George and Don took a last look at Adrian then shared a look of mutual chagrin "Time to face the music" murmured George

They walked over to the doors separating them from their families waiting outside and peeked through the glass screens.

George shook her head on seeing her parents "I can't do it. My parents are probably gonna drag me out to some private hospital or complain about you, I don't need that right now. Can't you talk to them?"

He came to a sudden decision "No. I can't. That's...as much as I'd like to tell them where to stick their attitude you need to face them sometime. You gotta tell them how you feel. I've seen you bring down brutal killers, you can handle your parents"

She straightened up and sighed uncomfortably "I know"

He smiled "And, you get to meet my parents. Finally"

She bit her lip "I'm probably gonna be really awkward and say something inappropriate"

He scoffed and linked his arm with hers "They're gonna love you"

She met his eyes and felt a surge of confidence, she opened her mouth to say something but then changed her mind "Let's go do this"

* * *

On returning from the bathroom Ros went to chat to her father and George's parents leaving Ronnie free to quickly leave the conversation, she sidled up to Mac and hugged him briefly not failing to notice Ros' poor attempts to drag her into talking to Danny.

"Hey chief" she said brightly

"Oh it's chief now is it Veronica?" he said with a wry smirk

She grinned then noticed her father looking over at her "Quick, stand in front of me before me dad drags me into _another _conversation about all the 'cute' things _I _did as a baby" she muttered

Smirking, Mac did as she asked "Y'know I should really be going soon" he said thoughtfully

She nodded "Yeah I have work too but come on, we've gotta see the little baby. Five more minutes and then you can give me a ride to work"

He agreed "That's true but I'm actually not going to work"

She furrowed her brow then looked at his expression, suddenly realising something "Oh my god. You're going on a date with your mystery woman! I _knew _that was a new shirt" she whispered excitedly

He raised his eyebrow "You're frighteningly good at that. If I ever retire..."

She clapped her hands together happily "Aw chief I'm so made up for you! So you finally asked her out eh?"

He chuckled "Actually it was the other way around"

"Seriously? That's so _cute_. I'm really happy for you, you deserve this"

"It's early days yet, don't go out and buy a hat for the wedding"

"Ah please. You two are forever, I know it"

Just as they were talking, they were interrupted by the chorus of cheers and congratulations that rose up as George and Don appeared, they looked tired and dazed but blissfully happy all at the same time.

After hugs and introductions were made, Ronnie asked the question that everyone had on their minds.

"So can we see him or what?"

Don shook his head "Not yet, in a couple of days sure but right now we're just trying to get him better"

After more congratulations where given out and questions were answered by George and Don, Mac, Ros, Danny and George's father Ben opted to leave for various reasons while Sheldon, Izzy, Ronnie, Angela and Sam remained behind.

While people gave Don their gifts for the baby and the new parents, Katrina took her daughter aside, she was silent for a moment staring at George as if seeing her for the first time.

"I'm proud of you, you've just had a son and you did it alone" said Katrina finally

"I wasn't alone" said George stiffly "Don was there"

Katrina exhaled "While your father and I have accepted that you've decided to have this man's child, we can't quite understand why you insist on him being so involved in other aspects of your life" she placed what was supposed to be a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder

"Believe me darling you can't work with someone you're in a 'relationship' with. Why don't you let me call Orson? I'm sure I can convince him into making things work with you two. Orson has so much to give you and the baby, can you be really happy struggling alone as a single mother? I'm sure Don is a charming man or a 'real mensch' as one of his sisters tried to convince me but...in the long run Orson is the best choice"

George shrugged her off "You never fail to disgust me mother" she said scornfully "Orson and I do _not _love each other, what we had was over a long time ago. Whatever you may think of it all this is _part of my life _and until you and dad can accept that I don't want you visiting or calling me"

Katrina gaped at George, stunned into silence, a flicker of emotion passed through her brown eyes but then it was gone.

"I will not have you speak to me like that" she turned on her heel and quickly left

George sighed wearily and watched her go, a moment later she felt another hand on her arm, she turned her head and met the kind gaze of Angela who must have heard the exchange, judging by her sympathetic expression.

"You alright kid?"

George was too upset by her mother to be shy as she normally would have done and simply nodded, Angela rubbed her arm comfortingly "Y'know us parents, we don't always know whats right. We make mistakes and its hard for us to let go of our kids and see them living their own lives without our help"

George scoffed "That's hardly the problem here. My folks are just snobs, always were and always will be"

"Deep down all they want is whats best for you. One of these days they're gonna come around" insisted Angela

George looked at the woman and found she had the same aura of confidence that her son had "Thanks Angela. I'm sorry we never got to properly meet before I got..."

Angela waved her apology off "Don't worry about it and call me Angie, you're family now and we Flack's take care of our gang"

George grinned "I'm honoured to be a part of that"

Don watched George and his mother talk, even more pleased when he saw that they were getting along well, now that was all the proof he needed, he'd made his decision.

While people began to say their goodbyes after a pointed but good humoured comment from a nurse about morning visiting hours being over Don went to have a private talk with his father.


	41. In the Pink

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! No long rambling posts for today so...read,review and ENJOY!**

* * *

That following day on a sunny midday, Lindsay grinned on arrival as she spotted Ronnie already seated at a table, they were about to have lunch together in Bubby's a popular eatery on Hudson Street which had particularly excited Lindsay because it had been featured in an episode of 'Sex & The City'.

"Hi" said Ronnie as Lindsay sat down opposite her

"Hey! This exactly as I imagined it" said the CSI happily she gazed around, peering gleefully at the décor and the staff

"You're so cute getting excited by this place. Personally I think the chicken soup is kinda crummy" said Ronnie flipping out a napkin and placing it on her lap

Lindsay smiled "Well I really love Sex & The City so this is a pretty big deal for me. Thanks for inviting me"

Ronnie smiled back "I thought I owed you one since you loaned me that gorgeous scarf of yours..which I then lost"

Luckily Lindsay was good humoured about this confession "I lose scarves all the time so I usually buy in bulk"

"Phew(!) If it was my sister Ros she'd have been tearing me a new A"

They both giggled, then Ronnie noticed Lindsay's outfit "By the way, your skirt is so cute, it looks like something Charlotte would wear"

Lindsay grinned modestly "I know but I'm more of an Samantha fan"

Ronnie wriggled her eyebrows "Its always the quiet ones. Me, I'm a Carrie girl all the way"

Lindsay laughed and picked up a menu "I don't know what to choose, it all looks so good"

Ronnie smiled at her enthusiasm "Well I'm having the smoked chicken and apple sausage topped by some seriously good key lime pie"

Lindsay was relieved that Ronnie didn't seem bothered by sticking to a diet and grinned again "I guess I'll have...the wild mushroom scramble and the melted chocolate cake. Ooh and in true Sex and The City spirit we should have some _Cosmopolitans_ too. Split the bill?"

"Of course! You do remember we are but lowly government workers?" said Ronnie pointedly

They put their menus away as their waiter arrived and took their orders, returning minutes later with two bright pink Cosmopolitans.

"To your new nephew" said Lindsay raising the glass in a toast

Ronnie clinked her glass against Lindsay's "To Adrian Leopold Flack"

They shared a 'cheers' and a giggle then settled into their drinks "So, how is your brother? Do you have any pictures of Adrian yet?"

"Nope, not yet but when Adrian puts on a little more weight I'm staging a huge photo shoot" laughed Ronnie "A lot of people turned up, Mac, my sisters, Hawkes, George's parents, sadly _my _parents. It was a big loud Flack reunion"

Lindsay avoided Ronnie's eye as she made her next comment "I spoke to Danny he said he had dropped by"

Ronnie rolled her eyes "Oh yeah. He did" she quickly shifted the topic "Maybe I should have the chocolate cake too"

Lindsay tried again "He's been in a foul mood the past week, since before you went to Vegas actually. I thought it was this case he had but..."

"Lindsay, I don't really want to talk about him. At all" said Ronnie curtly

"Look, I know that you two have had some kind of major fight. I'm just...well I know it isn't my place but I'm worried about him. He's just been working himself hard and he's...I think whatever happened between you two it really got to him" said Lindsay tentatively

Ronnie fixed her with a hard look "I can't understand why you seem to think I care about that at all. I don't want a damn thing to do with Danny"

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because I'm tired of talking about this. Why is that so fucking hard to believe?"

Lindsay winced but she wasn't about to back down, she knew in her heart that Danny would never feel the way he did about Ronnie with her but even if she was aware of this she still wanted him to be happy.

"Just... One more thing"

"Fine but then we do _not _talk about this ever or I'm walking straight outta here" said Ronnie firmly

Lindsay nodded quickly "What exactly did he say to you?"

Ronnie groaned, looking very uncomfortable "Do I have to do this?" she said quietly

Lindsay shook her head "No, you don't but I just wanna help. I promise"

Ronnie raked a hand through her hair and began fiddling with her hoop earring "He said he loved me" she murmured and then exhaled "Which is obviously...ridiculous. We barely know each other...well not enough for him to say that. I don't know why he said it"

Lindsay was silent as Ronnie sipped her cocktail, now she knew for sure that there was no hope for her Danny and she also knew that she had to make Ronnie aware of that fact.

"Because its true. That's why he said it" she said seriously

Ronnie scoffed and lowered her eyes "He didn't mean it"

Lindsay adjusted her napkin and sighed "Its true because...he never loved me"

Ronnie stared at her for a few moments then sighed "Thanks...for trying to help but...I think this is something I have to deal with on my own. Lets just have a nice lunch"

Lindsay agreed vehemently "You're right. To...this lunch" she raised her nearly empty glass to Ronnie's and the two women shared a toast.

* * *

It was late that night before Mac finally had a moment to himself.

Carrying a stack of case files under his arm he headed into his office, pushing the door open, only to be startled when he saw Stella sat in his chair. She smiled at him sweetly.

"Hey. I was wondering when you'd get here"

He shut the door behind him and smiled slowly "Is there a particular reason you're here?"

She lowered down and lifted a basket from under his desk, it contained a bottle of wine and some various miniature chocolates and cakes.

"This is really...I really appreciate this but I have a lot of work to do" he said wistfully

Stella reached into the basket retrieving two Styrofoam cups "Mac I'm not taking no for an answer. Here is your 'glass', grab a seat"

Mac put his files down on his desk and placed his palms flat on the surface "Stella..."

"_Mac_" she smiled and then stood up "We've both been working hard on this case but you've told me yourself countless times that we're no good at this job when we're tired. So sit down and relax, I mean it"

He smirked and tipped his head at her "Yes ma'am"

* * *

That bright morning, the dark haired mother stared through the incubator, her palm against the glass she sighed wistfully wishing she could stay. In her other hand was a bag of the over night things she'd used during her stay, now she had to return home to give space for other parents.

She felt a hand on her back and raised her head, Don was stood beside her also looking as reluctant to leave "We should get going"

"I wish we could take him home right now" she said softly and straightened up "I hate that I'm just leaving him in some strange hospital"

"We can come back later. He's safe here you know that'' said Don, he looked thoughtful "Besides. We need to get some sleep and shower, I don't know about you but I stink"

George smirked "You're so classy"

He shrugged "It's a Flack thing"

She scoffed "Alright, alright. I'm ready" she wiggled her fingers at her baby boy "See you soon Adrian"

Don waved too, grinning as he did "See ya kid"

Then they left the NICU together and headed for the parking lot where Don drove them both home.

* * *

Don had just parked outside George's apartment when they spotted her neighbour returning from a walk with Atticus in tow. 

"There's my other baby" she said with a smile and ran her fingers through her mussed hair

Don looked at her "I guess I'll call you this afternoon. We can go visit Adrian together"

She folded her arms in her lap, an image running through her head, it was the same thought she'd had on her mind all day, she turned to look at him and he surprised her by planting a soft, lingering kiss on her mouth.

When he pulled away rather reluctantly he looked suddenly sheepish "I..."

She flushed "D'you wanna sleep here instead? That's _not _an invitation for sex by the way" her colour deepened "I'd just really like to stay with you"

He chuckled and brushed his hand over her arm "Yeah, alright. So long as you don't snore like you did back at the hospital"

George stuck her tongue out at him "Shut up. Okay, I'll get Atticus. Here are the keys" she handed him the keys to her apartment and stepped out of the car, going over to greet her neighbour and pick up her pet.

George lead her dog in doors to her apartment, tickling him behind the ears, glad for some familiarity then she looked around, surprised to see her place was much tidier, the lounge was covered with various baby toys and all the things she'd neglected to get when she'd been pregnant.

"Oy. What happened in here?" she said loudly

Don emerged from the kitchen, holding an open can of soda "I gave Ronnie your key and she said something about having a surprise ready. I guess this is from everyone"

George stared at all the new items and felt suddenly weary "I wish I'd spent more time on this instead of that _stupid _wedding"

Don shrugged "We were both pretty preoccupied, but we've got all this and...we're gonna be fine" he said "Unless Atticus doesn't kill that bear over there" he said laughing as Atticus wrestled with a fluffy giant teddy bear

George folded her arms across her chest "I guess he's fine for now. I'm gonna get him some fresh water and food"

Don nodded "Ah, I guess I'm gonna sleep"

She watched head off into her bedroom and suddenly was uncertain about staying in the same bed with him, it wasn't that she didn't want to _God she wanted to) _but she wondered if it would be awkward and perhaps all they'd been feeling and their meaningful exchanges had been nothing but a reaction to the eventful past few days.

She exhaled, there was only one way to find out. She walked into her kitchen and once she was sure Atticus was fed she hesitantly went into her bedroom, to her relief Don was already asleep so there'd be no awkward feeling that they needed to have 'a talk'.

She slipped under the covers, being careful not to wake him and would not have done so if she hadn't accidentally elbowed him in the back.

He jerked up and scowled "Geez! What are you trying to do, kill me?"

She tried not to giggle but failed to do so "I'm really sorry. I was just trying to climb in"

He propped himself up on his elbows and watched her snuggle under the covers, he smiled at her sleepy expression and her mussed hair, all of which he found incredibly adorable.

"You better watch those crazy elbows" he said quietly and sank back into the pillows

She too lay down, noticeably leaving some space between them, he resolved this by moving in closer and putting his arm around her hip, she smiled to herself as he placed his head in the soft crook of her shoulder, he didn't know when he'd started to get so sentimental over little things like that but he suspected it was when she first walked into his life.

"George" he said quietly

She stifled a yawn "Hmm?""

"We don't have to...do this. I mean this is gonna sound weird since we just had Adrian but...I just wanna be sure about this" he said carefully

She took his hand from her hip and interlocked their fingers "I'm sure"

He smiled and pressed a kiss onto her shoulder "That's all I wanted to say really"

"Good, can I sleep now?" she craned her head around to look at him

He grinned, kissed her lips and then nodded "Yeah, _alright_"

She smiled and turned away, she knew that it wouldn't be easy, trying to start a relationship when she'd just become a mother and it was true they had a lot to talk about but at that time there was nothing else she wanted to know, she was just happy that they were finally back on track.

* * *

**A/N: This doesn't mean I like Lindsay by the way...; )**


	42. All The Day's Stories

_**A/N: **I was WAITING for someone to call me out on my favouritism. Don't worry, I checked myself a few weeks ago and resolved to write a little fairer. I just am not the biggest fan of Danny right now...but I can't let my own petty problems with his character get in the way of this. See, I accept I have a problem! Thats the first step right?!_

_Anyway, thanks for the reviews and all that jazz._

_Here's the next chapter, its a little nicer than others so you guys don't think I'm obsessed with tragic relationships! Read, review and ENJOY!_

* * *

Letting out a wide yawn as he trudged into the lab, Adam frowned when he saw how bright and peppy his lab partner looked even though he knew full well that she like him had been out most of the previous night.

"Hey" he said grabbing his lab coat from a coat rack "How do you look so _sober_?"

"Magic" she said flashing him a wink, glad that they'd been able to get over their very misguided attempt at a relationship

"No seriously. I mean I was out all night with Betty Z and a bunch of hipsters and I could barely crawl into the shower this morning and I know for a fact that _you _were out with all your crazy girlfriends last night, so _how, _I mean give me the secret; how are you so peppy?" he muttered sitting on his stool and pulling himself towards the desk

"Because I know not to drink the day before work" she said smugly

He rolled his eyes and buried his head in his hands "This is not a good day to work in forensics"

She smirked "You and Betty Z huh? Does this mean you two _are _back together?"

He scoffed, not raising his head "Unlikely. I think I'm just gonna sow my wild oats for a while. I _really _don't wanna settle down anytime soon"

"Euuugh" she said, making a face

"You didn't mind my wild oats a couple of weeks ago" he retorted

She shrieked in disgust and threw a scrunched up paper ball at him "That's not right Ross"

He chuckled then winced "Fuck. My head hurts bad"

She reached for her handbag under her desk and came over to him "Here" she said and retrieved a packet of aspirin, she placed it in front of him "Go and wash your face, take a couple of these...try not to throw up then come back"

He got up and swung an arm around her "Owe you one Flack"

She raised an eyebrow "And then some"

He managed a weak smile, grabbed the aspirin then headed out. Ronnie glanced at her watch, she had another two hours to go.

* * *

"D! You here?"

Don appeared from the kitchen, holding his sports bag, he checked his watch "You're so late"

She shut the front door and tossed her bag onto the couch "Well I'm here now ain't I? SO what do you need me to do"

He exhaled wearily "Okay, I'm gonna be at George's for the weekend...stop looking at me like that"

"What?! I think you two are _adorable_" she cooed, folding her arms

He scoffed and continued "You've gotta call all the people on the list I gave you, then I've left those old records of George's on the coffee table. The food, you've done the grocery?"

She looked sheepish "Well, I _will_"

Don groaned "Ronnie..."

"I've had a lot on my mind lately, y'know with Danny and..." she protested

He snorted unsympathetically "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know about that! Why don't you just suck it up and get back together with him? You know you want to"

She scowled "But he was really..."

"We _all _have problems Ronnie, my girlfriend isn't eating well, my baby is still in hospital but you don't see me blaming _you _for that. You want Danny, you've gotta accept that he ain't perfect and _neither _are you, I can't count the amount of times I've told you to stop leaving make up in my car..."

"Alright!" she interjected, she held her hands up defensively "Anyway, whats with this change of heart, now you want me to be with him?"

Don shrugged and raked a hand through his dark hair "You know what, he loves you and he's a great guy. I can't be involved in your life anymore but when you're being _this dumb _about something that is _so _obvious..."

Again she cut him off, looking a little stung but she knew he was right "You know, I would have expected this kind of rant from Ros and _anyhow, _you weren't so active when it was your love life"

He let out a small sigh and walked over, putting his arm around her shoulder "You really helped and I appreciate it and I _know _that you live for fixing up everyone else's problems but why don't you try facing your own ones?"

She bit her lip "It freaks me out. I'm a wuss, I admit it"

He kissed her forehead affectionately "Nice try but I'm not joining your pity party"

She laughed suddenly "Fair enough"

He ruffled her hair "You're a great kid and I love you, but you need to get off your high horse and go see Danny"

"What _now, now?"_ she exclaimed

He nodded firmly and started to nudge her towards the door "Yeah, _now_"

Ronnie winced, trying to get out of doing what he was suggesting "But...what about the shopping..."

Don ignored her "I'll even drop you off. Now lets move"

* * *

Gripping the baseball bat firmly, Danny watched as a baseball flew out from the pitching machine then he swung at it.

He repeated this action, doing it over and over again, the batting cages was normally the one place he could go to take out the day's frustrations and normally he would tire himself out after a while but he was on his second game now and no closer to feeling more relaxed or less distracted.

"Hey!"

His head jerked up, wondering if he'd really heard that voice or he just _wanted _to hear it, he grit his teeth and took another swing.

"Danny?"

This time there was no mistaking, he'd _definitely _heard _her. _He raised his head, stopping the machine just in time.

There was Ronnie, stood outside the metal link fence wearing the blue dress she'd worn on their first date.

"Hey" he said recovering and running his hand across his sweat slicked brow "I thought we weren't supposed to be talking"

She ran her fingers across the metal "Can you come out here a sec?"

His turned away, about to set up another game "You sure about that? Your uh boyfriend Adam won't mind?"

Ronnie sighed and folded her arms across her chest "Please just hear me out"

He spun around, dropping the bat at his feet "Christ. Make up your mind, _you _told me to stay outta your life and I've been doing that. So _what _do you want?"

She watched him leave the cage, watching his tense stride with an anxious bite of her lip.

"Yeah?" he said, tucking his hands into his jean pockets, trying to keep a reign on his famous temper

"Nothings going on with me and Adam. We're just friends" she explained, and turned her head, her earrings twinkling in the late afternoon light

"What, am I supposed to care?" he muttered coolly, he hadn't meant to sound so harsh but he could be just as stubborn as she could when it came to relationships

A pink flush tinged her cheeks "I want to be with you"

He didn't respond, instead he stared at her, wondering what to say next, she looked away "What you said...I can't say it back. I'm not ready for that yet but I want us to try again, I really do"

She looked so sincere that he struggled not to reach out and hold her but he wanted to make certain it was what she wanted "Y'know...you were saying a couple of weeks ago that you had nothing to say to me and now this...what changed?"

She hated confronting her past and tended to avoid serious issues whenever they cropped up in relationships but she knew that this one time she was going to have to bite the bullet.

"I freaked out, I panicked. You were right...I was scared. This is all new for me"

He scoffed "Its not like it wasn't for me" he stared at her curiously "Why do you believe me now?"

"Would you believe Lindsay convinced me? Well, everyone says we should be together and I figure, they must have a point" she murmured

Danny shook his head "If you can't take my word for it, then what's the point?"

She looked uncertain "I don't know what you want to hear from me, this is just...I'm trying to be straight with you"

He lowered his gaze "D'you trust me?"

"Yeah, completely" she stared at him with unwavering blue eyes

"You know what though, you said some real...messed up stuff to me and I don't wanna to be with you if thats what you think of me"

"I_ don't_. When I said...what I did, I was really pissed off, I said stupid things and I should have handled it a lot better. I'm sorry y'know. I just didn't know what to think"

Danny stared at her, studying her quietly, Ronnie grew increasingly pessimistic, he had been silent for a while and she was starting to think that perhaps it had been too late.

Then he surprised her, letting out an exhale and stepping forward "C'mere"

She hesitated, surprised that all it had taken was for her to have faith in them, she realised she could have saved herself a lot of heartache that way. Then she closed the space between them, putting her arms around his shoulders while he held her tightly, after all that had happened all he wanted to do was be near her.

She lifted her head and smiled sweetly, biting her bottom lip playfully "Can you say it again?"

He chuckled and feigned ignorance "Say what exactly?"

She grinned and leant back, letting her hands fall to his chest "_Danny_"

He brightened "I love you Veronica Flack"

Ronnie clutched at his tank top, drawing him into a searing, lingering kiss, he smiled against her lips "You know how much I missed that?"

She sank into his chest, her fingers running down the sinewy muscle of his forearms "I guessed by the way you mauled me two weeks ago"

He snorted and examined her from under his eyelashes "You loved it"

Ronnie started to protest when he kissed her, this time taking the time to really savour the kiss, he wound his arms around her waist and moulded his body with hers. When he did let go, it was albeit very reluctantly.

She ran her tongue across her lips and he was reminded vividly of the last time they'd spent together and he could see by the glint in her eyes that she shared his thought..

"Y'know, with everything that's happened, I forgot how good you were at that. I really did" she said with a slow drawl

Danny pressed his lips against hers in another kiss "If I didn't have to work today..." he murmured

She growled playfully, nuzzling her nose with his "I know, I know, you'd show me what I've been missing right?"

He tilted her chin up and kissed the corner of her mouth "Hey, I don't have a one track mind. As I _was _saying, if I didn't have work I'd take you on a real date to a restaurant or something"

Ronnie cupped his head in her hands an impish twinkle in her eyes, he'd really missed her wicked sense of humour among many_ other_ things "So you have some KFC coupons?"

He scooped her up in his arms "Oh you got jokes now?"

She laughed and tried to wriggle free "This _ain't _funny! Put me _down!_, _Danny!"_

"Apologise for the KFC crack" he teased swinging her around

She kissed his forehead "I'm _sorry_. You accept that?"

He put her down gently, grinning good humouredly when she smacked his arm for picking her up "Okay,

so...dinner?"

Ronnie nodded, her arm going around his waist, she turned serious "I'm sorry I wasn't straight with you from the start"

Danny kissed the top of her head "Me too" he looked at her "This is a fresh start. Yeah?"

She nodded again "Yeah" she took his hand and held it as they walked out of the park.

* * *

**A/N: **_This fic is meant to be humorous and romantic...so what do you think? Too soon for the couple or just right?_


	43. Blender

**A/N:: Thanks for the reviews! Made me laugh out loud. Uh...there's not much to say about this chapter and in case you didn't already know, there are moments of 'bad' language here!**

**Anyway, read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

Raising her wrist and glancing at it, George let out a brief exhale "Fuck" she muttered and tugged on Atticus' lead, she'd been out walking in the park before she went to visit her son but she realised she was late. She checked her pocket and started to head out of the park, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand to try and ease a kink she felt, she'd been working out a lot over the past few weeks as a way of balancing out the stress she felt over Adrian's health. 

She strolled out of the park with Atticus leading the way and headed home, feeling oddly weak but she put that down to not having had breakfast that morning.

Finally after weaving through the streets and apologising to startled passer-bys for an unusually loud Atticus; George reached her apartment.

"Hey!"

She stopped at the hall leading to her place and smiled at Ronnie who was unmissable in one of her characteristically bright outfits "Hey, how are you?"

Ronnie flashed her a grin "Peachy. Don gave me his keys and asked me to give you a ride down to the hospital, he can't make it but he's sorry"

George blinked "Oh, uh. Okay but I can make my own way"

"That's what I said! I mean not that I mind but my brother is a _notorious _fusser" agreed Ronnie as George unlocked her front door and let them both in

"Well since you're here, you might as well come and get another look at Adrian" said George, she shut the door after them and went into the lounge where Ronnie was stood

"I'm glad you said that" said Ronnie, lifting a digital camera out of her purse "I wanna send some more pictures for my parents"

George furrowed her brow, trying to focus "Uh yeah...that would be nice for them"

Ronnie crouched down and took over Atticus, tickling him behind the ears while she spoke "Oh and some for Chad who quote 'can't believe someone would want kids with _my _brother' so he needs proof" she chuckled

George placed a hand on the side of the couch to steady herself "Great. I'm gonna get changed"

Ronnie tilted her head up, suddenly concerned "George? Are you feeling alright?"

George shook her head, swaying uneasily on her feet, Ronnie straightened up and grabbed the other woman by the arm to try and keep her upright.

"Come and sit down" she said decisively

George nodded and let Ronnie guide her onto the couch, she sat there quietly with her head between her legs while Ronnie went to get her a glass of water.

On returning, Ronnie sat beside George, rubbing her back comfortingly "Here, I got you some water"

George raised her head and took the water gratefully, sipping it down and then sinking back into the softness of the couch.

"So what was that about?" asked Ronnie trying not to sound too worried, unlike her brother she'd been able to see much faster that George wasn't someone who enjoyed being fussed over

"I don't know" sighed George she rubbed her tired eyes "I guess I'm just stressed"

"You want me to take you to your doctor? Or the hospital maybe?" suggested Ronnie

George shook her head, adamant not to make a big deal out of the situation "No. Listen, its my own fault for not eating before I went out today"

Ronnie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear "Have you been working out a lot?"

George scoffed defensively "Its just yoga and I've been taking Atticus on walks. Nothing too strenuous"

"Well what about eating?" tried Ronnie

George, who had never been able to lie well shrank into the chair "I eat"

Ronnie stared at her, sincerely worried "I don't know if its my place...but you have lost a lot of weight, I mean I know that its not so difficult since you're a first time mom but its barely been a month"

George frowned "You're right. Its not your place"

Ronnie was stung but she recognised George's defensiveness as a tactic she often used when faced with a difficult issue "Has Don noticed?"

At this George's face fell, she gave Ronnie an apologetic expression "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. He was worried but he's got work and..." she trailed off dismally

Ronnie squeezed her shoulder "Come on, we're family. If you have a problem, I wanna help"

George chewed on the inside of her cheek uncertainly, then she turned her head away "I'm happy with your brother, I really am and I love Adrian but its hard getting used to the fact that I'm a mother and I'm only thirty...I have a kid, I have to hold up a job and the worse thing about this is that Adrian is still in hospital, he has to be helped to breathe. I can't handle all this so I guess...I haven't really been taking care of myself"

"Have you told him any of this?" asked Ronnie gently

George shook her head now looking at her "I can't. I'm not feeling like myself anymore and I need to deal with that alone"

"You don't have to" insisted Ronnie

George didn't respond, Ronnie rubbed her ankle and thought of something "Okay. Its Friday right?"

George nodded dumbly "Yeah"

"After we've seen Adrian do you wanna hit the shops with me? Buy you something to wear for that charity auction next month. We can even catch a movie afterwards" she said brightly

George frowned "I don't think that's going to help"

Ronnie nudged her lightly "Look if for one night you have some stupid girly fun and take your mind off everything then it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world now would it?"

George wasn't convinced Ronnie's plan would be entirely successful but she was warming to the idea "Okay. Okay and...please don't tell your brother what I said. I'll tell him when I'm ready"

Ronnie sighed "I don't know..."

George gave her a firm look "Please"

Ronnie hugged her warmly "Yeah of course"

When she let go George seemed in much higher spirits "Okay. Lemme get dressed"

"Okay but while you're in there I'm gonna order out, I'd do some of my famous cooking but we don't have much time" said Ronnie, she helped George up

George smiled thankfully "Then we'll pick it up on the way and I swear, I'll eat"

Ronnie nodded happily and let the other woman go so she might get dressed.

* * *

Letting out a muffled yawn, Danny peered suspiciously through the key hole of his front door, raising his eyebrows confusedly when he saw who it was, he unlocked the door and answered it with another yawn.

"Don't look too excited" said Ronnie with a small smirk she took in his loose black draw string trousers and his white tank top

"What?" he said sleepily, kissing her on the cheek "Aren't you supposed to be with George?"

She circled her arms around his waist "Yeah, I just dropped her off home" she kissed him on the lips "Can I crash here tonight?"

"Any reason?" he asked pointedly, he walked backwards slowly, still holding on to her, then he gave her another kiss

"I just...me and George were talking and she just made me realise I'm really happy with you" she kicked the door shut with the back of her foot, not quite ready to let go of him yet, he smiled at this and squeezed her body close to his

He yawned once more "Yeah, sure" he took her hand and they walked into his bedroom.

Danny made his way back on top of his crumpled bed sheets while she slipped out of her skirt and heels, before joining him in bed.

He wrapped his arm around her as she turned into him and brushed his lips over hers, it had been a while since they'd been so close and he was very aware of how little she was wearing making it that much more difficult to go back to sleep.

"You still awake?" she murmured into his ear, her breath pleasantly tickling his cheek

"Yeah" he, trailed his fingers down her spine and she shivered pleasurably, one hand going across his stomach and clutching at his vest

Now wide awake, he planted a lingering kiss on her lips, which at first she responded to warmly at first, biting her lip and smiling softly in the dark as he slid her tee shirt over her head then covered his body over hers.

Then suddenly she pulled away, moving away from him, he let out a small frustrated sigh and shifted closer.

"What's up?" he asked, tracing circles on her bare hip

She was suddenly glad for the dark so he couldn't see her blush "I think we should wait a little"

Danny furrowed his brow as he kissed her "_Oh-kay_. For how long?"

"I don't know"

He stopped "What?"

He reached out to the bedside table and fumbled with the small lamp, turning it on so that he could look at her.

She sat up on his elbows and gazed down at her frame, his eyes lingering on her bare legs "What's going on?"

She gave him a shy smile "I think that now we're back together. Its really important to me that we spend more time getting to know each other and..."

He sat up properly and she did the same, crossing her legs as she did.

"Alright, that's true...but I don't see why we have to stop _that_" he said with an impish smirk

She flushed at his expression "Danny, last time together was so much about sex and if we're gonna make this work, I want us to be serious"

He winced "_That_ serious? Was it that bad last time?"

Ronnie smirked "No. You _know _that"

She reached for his hand, giving him a patented 'puppy dog eyes '"You understand right?"

He leaned over and put his arms around her "Yeah of course. I respect you and if you wanna wait...then I think that's a good idea"

She kissed his cheek "I'm glad you agree" she lowered her head into the crook of his shoulder

He stroked her hair "You want your tee shirt back?"

She grinned "Yeah"

He handed her the item of clothing then got off the bed as she put it on. Ronnie raised her eyebrows "Where are you going?"

He looked at her in her rumpled tee shirt, her hair curling around her face and let out a low exhale

"To take a cold, long shower"

* * *

Standing outside Stella's apartment that frosty morning, Mac reflected on the previous week when he'd met Reed Garett. At first he'd been happy to meet the boy especially because he had once been a part of CLaire and even if Reed had been reluctant about them at least being friends, Mac had still been hopeful that they would build a relationship, but along with meeting Reed a lot of painful memories had surfaced on seeing someone who reminded him so much of his lost wife.

He'd pulled back from Stella and he knew she'd been hurt by this just as Peyton had been when he had distanced himself early on in their relationship and then when he'd started to do the same to Stella he realised that he couldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Hi" she said on answering the door, she was dressed smartly having just left work

"Can I come in?" he asked tentatively

"Sure" she said calmly, she knew that something was troubling him but she was patient. When he was ready to tell her what was on his mind, he would.

She walked into the kitchen and he followed her, waiting as she poured herself a glass of water.

"I wanted to apologise for the way I've been acting" he said finally

She waited patiently for him to continue, he leant against the counters "Meeting Reed and talking to him, it felt like I was with Claire again for a little while and I felt guilty but I shouldn't have. There is a place for both of you"

She put her glass down and locked eyes with him "Mac, you don't have to apologise. I get that sometimes you're not going to want to tell me everything but you shouldn't feel like you _can't _and I know Claire will always be a part of your life, I'm not trying to replace her, you can still love her and be with me, you just have to remember that"

He nodded, surprised by how well she knew him "I know. It's just difficult"

She stared back at him, satisfied that he was sincere and half smiled "This was never going to be easy was it?"

She extended her hand and he held it, gazing into her eyes and feeling suddenly much better, she always knew what to say and never pulled any punches and as contrived as that was it was what he loved most about her.

"Would you like to go to the charity auction with me? As my date?" he said, making a sudden decision

She arched an eyebrow "That's not exactly the best way of keeping this relationship a secret" she said pointedly

He shrugged "I don't want it to be a secret and besides we've been to these events together before"

Stella smirked "Yeah but a lots changed since then"

He nodded "Well whatever people say...I'd still like you to be my date"

He drew her in with a gentle tug on her hand and they shared a sweet, brief kiss.

"What do you say?"

"Yes"

* * *

"I still don't know why you wore a suit. We're going straight home after" said George pointedly, she was dressed casually in a pair of jeans she'd suspected wouldn't fit after the birth but luckily still did.

Don adjusted his tie and peered around the waiting room, hoping to see their midwife Lisa "I know but this is a big day, my folks are here and they wants plenty of pictures"

George looked at him suspiciously "What?"

He realised his mistake and looked at her apologetically "I guess I _may _or may not have invited some people over for lunch"

She groaned, raising her eyes to the heavens "You _guess? _How many people?"

"Well uh, Ronnie and Danny, my parents, Ros, Colin and their kids, Hawkes and Izzy...your aunt Judith and Orson" he finished sheepishly

She faced him with a surprised look "You invited Orson?"

He shrugged "Well, he was a big part of the baby's life for a while. I guess, I thought he might wanna take a look at Adrian"

She folded her arms, not about to let him get away with the spontaneous party he'd planned "Okay that's sweet of you but you still should have asked me before you invited all these people. What are we gonna feed them?"

"Its okay, Ronnie's cooking and its at my place, it was really her idea but of course if you ask her she's gonna deny, deny, deny plus I thought it'd be cool to bring Adrian into our family in style and don't worry we can leave early" he said in his defence

George was about to complain further when Lisa finally turned up she greeted them both with a cheery grin "Good to see you kids"

They both stood up, George holding a brand new baby basket in one hand, their previous conversation long forgotten as they held hands; they were ready to take their son home for the very first time.


	44. Picture Day

**A/N: _Thanks for the reviews, this is a long post but its fluffy and nice and has babies in it so I hope you like it despite all that sickening stuff ; ).Thanks for the past reviews, once again, read, review and enjoy!_**

* * *

Looking at her oldest sister expectantly, Ronnie held out a square flat plate for her examination. "It's avocado tomatillo dip. Delicious right?" 

Trying some of the slices of avocado, Ros couldn't deny they were in fact delicious "Damn it. Fine, you're a good cook"

Ronnie beamed smugly "You so hate it when I'm in charge don't you?"

Ros made a face "Don't be so petty little V, as long as the food part is under control then I don't care whose doing it. Now; I gotta go check on the rest of this party. Why are mom and dad M.I.A? They were scheduled to be here at thirteen hundred hours"

Ronnie ignored her sister's rants and returned to making more treats for the lunch, meanwhile everyone else aside that had been invited was gathered on the roof top enjoying various cocktails and surrounded by pretty spring themed décor with some of George's old jazz records playing in the background.

Danny who had somehow been roped into taking care of Gabe and Nate while their father Colin helped his wife organise various gifts in Don and Ronnie's apartment, sneaking away leaving the twins with their aunt Izzy and George's aunt Judith.

He made it down the fire scape and out to the front of the stairs of the apartment complex where he rummaged in his jeans for a cigarette, lighting it up with relief when he did.

"Hey, I've been looking all over for you" said Ronnie, she leant against the door way, still wearing her apron

"You found me" he smirked moving closer to kiss her

She put her arms around his neck and sighed wearily "You know what, now I'm gonna have to find a new roommate, I'm really happy for D but it sucks. My big brothers moving out"

He took a puff from his cigarette "Well he's not gonna be far, he still works with you and believe me you'll be complaining about his toenail clippings before long"

She chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair "Thanks. You don't mind helping me vet some new roommates?"

Danny smirked "As long as they aren't dudes, I don't mind" he pressed another kiss into her lips, only for them to hear someone clear their throat behind the couple.

"What the..." said Ronnie pulling away from Danny, then she flushed "Hi...ma. Dad"

Danny groaned inwardly, being found making out with their daughter in front of her house wasn't exactly the best way to introduce himself to her parents as her boyfriend. He turned to greet them, trying not to look sheepish.

"Uh hey...Mrs. Flack, _Mr. _Flack_"_

Angie and Sam who were stood with their arms interlocked gave Danny a brief nod and a knowing expression for their youngest daughter.

"Hello Veronica. Where's the party?" asked Angie

Ronnie cringed, knowing that later her mother would _definitely _be talking to her about what she'd just seen "Upstairs on the roof, D and George aren't here yet"

"Okay sweetheart, we'll see you up there" said Sam pointedly, he kissed his daughter on the cheek and then smirked at Danny

"Nice lipstick"

Angela chuckled knowing how her husband liked to tease his daughter's boyfriends. She was even more amused when Danny tried to discreetly wipe away the traces of his girlfriend's pink lipstick.

"Ignore him, we'll see you inside Veronica" she said affectionately while Ronnie blushed furiously then the Flack parents headed up stairs into the apartment building, leaving the embarrassed couple behind.

"Well that wasn't awkward at all" muttered Ronnie, reaching for Danny's cigarette and taking a few short puffs

"Ah people were gonna find out we're together sooner or later. Why hide it?" he pointed out

She nodded "I know and I don't care anymore if people know, but we work together so...maybe play it a little more low key there"

He shrugged and took her hand "As long as its still about you and me then I don't care."

Ronnie stubbed out the cigarette and exhaled "I like the sound of that. You and me"

Danny smirked "Didn't know you were so romantic_ Veronica_"

"Could say the same about you _Daniel_"

She gazed up at the apartment before smiling at him "Okay. We're officially a couple, lets get in there and be a couple"

He raised an eyebrow "You ready for that?"

She cupped his cheek with her free hand and kissed him, biting his bottom lip playfully "Ready"

* * *

Don pushed open his front door and was surprised to find his apartment completely empty, he frowned and hoped that he wasn't too early or worse; too _late _for his own party. 

"Flack? Are me and Adrian ever gonna be let inside?" said George, she stood on the front steps, carrying Adrian in a baby basket

Don peered around once more, still confused about the party then sighed "Uh yeah...come on"

He held the door a little wider to let them through, she looked around and exhaled "So no one is here? Are you just making up parties now?" she smirked at his expression, her eyes going down to her son "Hey Adrian, I think your dad wants to be alone with his invisible friends. Why don't we go and get you some sleep?"

"Ha, ha. I almost cracked a rib" he retorted

She smiled, reached for his shoulder and squeezed it gently "Maybe your sister changed the time or something"

"I could have sworn, I mean I told her _specifically..._" he muttered

George rolled her eyes "Honey, that's great and all but I'm tired so I don't really mind not having a party. I just wanna kick back with my baby. Do you have the spare crib in your room?"

He nodded, scratching his head simultaneously "Yeah. Okay, I just gotta make some calls then I'll unpack the rest of Adrian's stuff from the car"

She kissed his cheek and took Adrian with her into Don's bedroom, yawning sleepily. Don meanwhile remained behind, pressing his phone to his ear and wondering when his sister would pick up.

Just as he did so, a pair of legs appeared from the fire escape promptly followed by the rest of his sister Izzy, she looked startled to see him there.

"Iz...what the..." he started

She grinned sheepishly "Did no one tell you it was gonna be on the roof? Ronnie thought it'd be easier to tidy up afterwards"

Don smirked "So crazy didn't forget?"

Izzy came over and swept him in a hug, laughing "You know if you keep calling her crazy, one of these days she's gonna walk in and hear you"

He scoffed "Like I'm scared of _her._ She's tiny"

Izzy started fussing over his suit "Yeah but she's scrappy _and _she's your baby sister, don't be so mean. Speaking of babies..." she clasped her hands together excitedly "Can I see him?"

Don nodded "Let me go get George and Adrian, I'll meet you all up on the roof. Oh and did Orson show?"

"Who?" she said blankly

He shook his head dismissively "Never mind, just tell them all, _no _noise"

Izzy gave a happy giggle "I can't wait! Everyone's going to be cramming around for pictures" then she hurried back up to rejoin the other guests.

George emerged from the bedroom, cradling a dozing Adrian, a blissful grin on her face "Who were you talking to so loudly while our son was trying to sleep?"

He jerked his head up to the ceiling "Izzy, she was looking for me...turns out everyone's up on the roof" he didn't miss her sudden look of weariness

"I know you really wanna rest and you can, I _promise._ You just gotta go up for five minutes"

She didn't seem convinced "I don't think he should be getting so worked up right now. We've _just _got him back from the hospital"

Don tried to hide his disappointment "Fine. Don't worry about it. I'll go tell them to keep it down yeah?"

He started for the fire escape but she stopped him, having a sudden change of heart "Ah...fine, listen, why don't you call them down here and I'll do the whole meet and greet but just for five minutes alright?"

He grinned happily "You got it. Wait right there"

She watched him eagerly head off and rolled her eyes, holding Adrian up to her face she inhaled his soft smell unable to get over just how much she loved him so soon, in a way it was a lot like the way she felt about his father. She smiled to herself, kissing Adrian's tiny nose.

"I love you. I love him too y'know?"

The baby gurgled in response, eliciting another smile from her "Yeah, I don't get it either. But we gotta keep it a secret for now. Just until we get this family really settled"

She kissed her son's forehead again and went over to the couch, rocking him slowly in her arms as he started to go off to sleep.

"Just our little secret"

Ronnie waited patiently on the front steps for Danny to bring his car around, chatting aimlessly to Izzy and Sheldon while further down the stairs, on the street were her parents, Ros, Colin and their son's Gabe and Nate sharing parenting tips with Judith who was George's aunt. They made up a rather loud and opinionated group but much to the relief of Don and George they'd be gone, at least for the time being.

"Well I didn't know Gabe was going to break anything _did _I?" scoffed Ros, she returned to scanning her Blackberry "For God's sake, Janice is costing me so much, I really don't need a PA when I can do just as good a job myself"

Judith chuckled "Yeah, you just can't find the help these days right?"

Ros couldn't help a quick grin "I know, I suppose I can be a little intimidating"

"Honey, you don't know the _meaning _of the word until you've met my brats. Speaking of which, I think I better go let them out of the oven"

She laughed and blew kisses at everyone and after some quick goodbyes, having had left a very strong impression on everyone, she left, loudly whistling for a cab and hopping in, promising to drink Ronnie under the table, then she was gone.

"What a woman" exhaled Sam with an amused grin

Ros had already returned to her Blackberry and was now hissing at it and typing furiously "Goddamn I leave work for two hours and the place is already going to _hell_"

Angela examined her eldest child with a long suffering smile "Colin is a very patient man isn't he? Putting up with our Roslyn" she murmured to her husband Sam

Colin smirked quietly, holding the hands of his two excitable sons "It was good to see you again Angie, Sam. I do hope we can all get together for dinner some time"

Sam nodded approvingly at his son in law "Games coming up, we'll fix something around then"

Colin agreed "That'd be great" he tugged at his squirming sons "I better get this rabble on their way. Its past these two's bedtime"

Sam crouched down and bid his grandson's a goodnight then straightened up, stretching his back as he did "Christ, are your kids getting younger or am I getting older? Or is it the other way around?"

"You my love are definitely getting _younger_" said his wife without skipping a beat much to Sam's amusement

Colin managed to give her an affectionate hug before then leading his kids to his parked car, followed by his wife who was still muttering angrily into her Blackberry.

Finally Sheldon and Izzy decided to leave too, just as Danny was pulling up with his car.

"See you later ma, you too dad. Remember what I told you about a south facing bed and _please _read my book on organic gardening, it'll change your life" said Izzy, giving both her parents a warm hug and kiss on the cheek

Sam nodded "I will Isobel. You two get home safe alright?" he told Sheldon

"Thanks, I'll bring your casserole dish down on Friday, alright Angie?" said Sheldon also hugging Angie

Once they'd said their goodbyes to everybody else waving over their shoulders at their family; the newly married couple headed off back to their home, hand in hand.

Ronnie stood up as Danny approached her and her parents from across the street, albeit very reluctantly.

"Sweetheart look at that, doesn't the poor boy look so nervous?" whispered Angie

Sam grinned "Thats right he does darling"

Ronnie pouted "Ma, come on, don't encourage dad. We just got back together, we don't need you two putting anymore pressure"

Angie shook her head "Veronica, your father and I wouldn't dream of it"

Danny managed a smile "Hey. So, you ready to get some dinner?" he asked Ronnie

"Sure"

"It was nice to really get to know you guys" he said now turning to her parents

"We should spend some more time together" suggested Angie much to her daughter's chagrin

"Why not this Sunday night? You kids ain't working right? Lets have dinner at seven" added Sam

Danny looked pleased that they were accepting him which was the opposite reaction to Ronnie's embarrassment, she knew her father was much more protective then he liked to appear and he was certain to end up quizzing Danny all night while her mother told a vast array of hair raising stories from her youth.

Which she supposed was exactly what parents were good at; embarrassing their offspring.

Danny brightened considerably "Dinner at seven, sounds great Mr. Flack"

"Ah enough of that. Call me Sam"

Angie noticed her daughter's expression and an impish twinkle came into her dark eyes "Its gonna be really good, I have all of Ronnie's pictures from her cheer leading days. She wanted to dye her hair but of course that wasn't allowed in Catholic school so she..."

"Oh lord it never ends" interjected Ronnie "Bye ma, bye dad. Love you guys" she muttered and dragged Danny off before he ended up agreeing to a family holiday.

"So what do you think of that eh? Donald has got a kid of his own, starting to settle down, Roslyn has her little family, Isobel is just starting one and Veronica's found herself a great job _and _I gotta say, an alright guy" said Sam pointedly, putting an arm around his wife's waist

She kissed his cheek "I say we did a great job"

* * *

**A/N:**_ See, I can do fluff! More coming up soon..._

_P.S.: I know what happens in Snow Day and between you and me I'm trying very hard not to kill off Danny in my story as a protest. But...like I said, I've nearly finished the story and I know what I want to happen in it so I'm going to focus on the story and not the TV show. Promise._

_**P.P.S:** I think I may have offended some Danny fans with my above comment. Well I'll apologise to the fans if I was harsh but I was just expressing MY opinion. _

_Sheesh. _

_I don't really like Danny or Lindsay but I don't hate them. Well I don't hate Danny ; ) and I still watch CSI: NY because its a great show and its...CSI! My pen name I chose because it was the first name I could think of related to CSI, I hadn't even seen NY yet but I'd read about Aiden and I liked her character. By the time I wanted to change it, people were used to me already so I kept it as it was but now I'm thinking I will change it because it does tend to typecast me I'll admit that._

_Fanfiction is supposed to be fun, I don't care if you don't like or even hate my fic but at least give me some constructive criticism 'Alise' as opposed to just being nasty and hiding behind anonymity. You're welcome to your opinion of course but to quote yourself; if you don't like it, don't read it. If there was something wrong with the story and you had liked it then please do say something about it and I really would welcome a better comment on the story with better detail on what you don't like as long as its in good taste but I don't get it; if I'm so dull why are you reading this? Its not even like you're reviewing the first chapter so clearly you have read this before which I find strange._

_But moving on, If you really don't like my fic then tell me but don't be nasty, be constructive, be fair and I'll always appreciate a review, good or bad oh and remember, its JUST fanfiction! _


	45. That Loving Feeling

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and support oh and excuse my little rant at the end of the last chapter. It wasn't meant for any of the regular readers or new ones, you guys are great! I just don't take no 'guff' (English slang before you ask) from nobody!. More fluff so be prepared...Without further ado...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mac nudged Don who had taken the change of colour in the traffic lights as a sign that he could drift off, he snapped alert at the honking cars and gripped the steering wheel, driving on and frowning to himself.

"Not getting a lot of sleep I suppose?" chuckled Mac

Don groaned "Hell. _No._" then he allowed himself a smile "Christ but I love him" he turned down the next street, blinking rapidly and trying to trick himself into a state of alertness before he and Mac arrived at the next crime scene

"How is George? She get my card?" asked Mac

"Yeah, she's grateful for the chocolates too" said Don

"But?" added Mac perceptively

"Its too much hassle, one night we're sleeping at my place depending on if I'm not working, the next she goes back to hers so I can get some rest and then there's Atticus _and _Adrian. We need a real place" he said without stopping for a breath

"Why don't you start looking?"

"Ah...wouldn't know the first thing. I've never really had my own place or a family. I'd ask my old man but y'know I really wanna do this on my own"

"You can have _some _help. Listen, why don't I sit down with you next break and talk you through it?"

Don nodded agreeably "Yeah, I'd appreciate it Mac"

Mac smiled "As long as you keep focused on this next case and stay awake of course"

Don looked sheepish "Sounds fair"

* * *

Much later that same night; Don was at George's apartment; after letting himself in and dropping his tuxedo jacket in the hall way, he made his way into the living room. It was here that he found his girlfriend. She was curled up in front of the TV wearing a stunning, figure hugging navy gown, her black heels discarded at her feet.

"So this is where you are" he said loudly

She raised her head, biting her bottom lip and looking sheepish "I should have called"

He scoffed and leant against the back of the couch with both hands "Well, yeah. I was in there for an hour"

"I'm sorry" she said still sheepishly and gave him an apologetic look "I got distracted putting Adrian to sleep in the bedroom. I've only just sat down"

He kissed her forehead, brushing away strands of her dark curly hair affectionately "Didn't you wanna go?"

She made a face "Well firstly I wasn't ready to leave Adrian alone yet...and I didn't feel up to it. I'm not, I feel..." she trailed off, unable to say what she was thinking, but he seemed to have guessed

"I wish you did come to the damn charity auction. Boring as it was. I wanted to show you off. You look gorgeous" he fixed her with an impish look "You're a knockout"

George flushed faintly and returned his kisses, planting one on his cheek "You're _very _cute but you're a liar"

Don sighed and straightened up, he came over to her side of the couch and sat down, letting his head fall on her lap, his legs dangling over the arms of the sofa.

"Why would I lie about that? I thought you were hot when we met and I think you're hot _now_" he said with a chuckle

Now it was her turn to scoff "Yeah. Right. You can't still think that. I've got this scar from the birth...I'm all pale, my hair is a _mess._ I just don't feel like me anymore. I don't feel...attractive or sexy or any of that. I'm just tired"

He blinked, completely unable to see what she saw. In his eyes she was still as beautiful as the day he'd met her and now even more so, she was the mother of his child.

He sat up to look at her, his brow furrowed "You serious? You got _that_ giving birth to _our_ son. You should be proud of that, its a part of you and...I can't believe you don't see what I see"

George shrugged, lowering her gaze "I just don't. This is a very strange time for me. Its hard to just accept that my whole life has changed and I know...I know its tough for you too but...thats how I feel"

He went silent, not sure what to say with her, he'd never been as good with words as George but he'd always been able to express himself through his actions.

Leaning forward he placed one hand over her stomach, with the other he tilted her chin up gently so she would meet his gaze, then he drew her into a deep kiss, it was more intense than any other they'd shared in a long time and by the time he pulled away he could see a change in her. George let out a soft breath against his lips, her heart fluttering, she reciprocated warmly with another kiss, sliding into his lap.

His arms went around her waist and his fingers travelled up to the zip of her dress and trailed it down slowly, brushing his hand over her bare, smooth back.

She shivered pleasurably, recounting the last time that he'd kissed her like that, the last time they'd been so intimate and she couldn't believe so long had passed. She was determined not to waste this opportunity.

Once she had gotten rid of his tie, she began unbuttoning his shirt with her fingers trembling in anticipation, she moved her kisses down from his lips to his neck, all the while smoothing the shirt off his shoulders.

"Where's Adrian?" he managed in a strained voice as she nipped at his ear lobe

"Bedroom" she murmured, wriggling out of the dress and reclining back on the sofa

Don took a few good moments to look at her, simply admiring her curves, her dark hair falling across her shoulder blades and let out a sigh.

"I guess...we better wait"

George bit her lip coyly "The bathrooms free"

He raised an eyebrow and lowered down to kiss her stomach, she giggled "So?" he muttered

"So, I think I need to get undressed and take a bath, maybe I might need some help getting into the bath. You up for the job?" she then planted a lingering kiss on his cheek

Don scooped her up in his arms, while she locked hers around her neck, holding on tight "I think I am.Lets get you cleaned up" and got unsteadily to his feet

George shut her eyes and kissed him "I love you" she said so softly that he was almost uncertain he'd heard it, he stared at her in surprise and she stared back, no longer smiling.

"Yeah?" he said finally

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. A smile built up on his face till he was grinning from ear to ear "I love you too"

George tucked her head into his shoulder and giggled with relief, he kissed her cheek and carried her into the bathroom.

* * *

After parking her car by the side walk, Stella straightened her outfit, a self indulgent smile on her face then she hurried across the street to Mac's apartment.

He answered the door a few seconds after she'd arrived, her face fell however when she saw that he clearly had other plans. Instead of his casual clothes he was suited and booted a stern expression on his face.

"Stella?"

"Mac" she sighed "You have to work?"

It quickly dawned on him that they'd had a date planned, he gave her an apologetic nod "Just got called in. We'll have to postpone tonight"

She raked a hand through her curls "Alright. Fine" she turned away and started to walk

"Stella wait" he said and caught up with her, he took her hand and gripped it "Will you hold up a second?"

She looked at him "Yes?"

"I have something for you" he reached inside his coat pocket and handed her an envelope "It was supposed to be a surprise. For your birthday"

He let go of her hand and she opened it, the wind blowing some hair into her face, she took a second to register what was inside and then stared at him in wonder "These are plane tickets to Paris"

Mac smiled modestly "Never let it be said that I can't take time off

She shook her head in wonderment then she kissed him letting out a little laugh of delight "How are we gonna get time off? Its one thing going to a charity auction together but this...people are definitely going to start gossiping"

"I don't care. I wanted to give you something special for your day" he said gently

She smiled back at him "You're full of surprises aren't you?"

Mac shrugged and smirked "So I suppose this means I am forgiven for cancelling our plans"

Stella cupped his head in her hands and gave him a big kiss, ignoring the wolf whistles from some passing teenagers.

"Oh you definitely are"

* * *

Rubbing the back of his neck, Danny raised his head from his microscope for a moment, using the chance to stretch his arms above his head, rolling his shoulder at the same time. It was a very late night and the only thing keeping him going was that in less than an hour he would be able to collapse in his bed with his girlfriend in his arms and get some much needed sleep . 

Just as he was about to return to another hour of staring at many, many microscope samples and attempting to match them up to another, he saw Ronnie peer around the glass screen of the lab, a cute smile on her face.

"Hey baby, c'mere" he said, relaxing a little on seeing her

She gave him a mock stern look "Hey! It's Flack _or _Ms. Flack at work to _you_" then she sauntered over, holding a manilla folder "Got that?" she tapped the folder lightly against his chest

He scoffed "Alright, I get it. Be professional but don't think I didn't notice you checking out my ass yesterday in the lunchroom"

She pouted, dropping the folder on the nearby desk "You wish _baby_"

He kissed her, his arms snaking around her waist "You _were_"

She tucked her hands into the pockets of his lab coat, wriggling in even closer, then her hand brushed against some paper. She picked it out, smirking at him.

"Whats this, a love letter?"

He frowned at the yellow paper "Ronnie come on..."

She wiggled her eyebrows playfully and opened it up, her brow furrowing as she read it, then she looked up at his terse expression.

"She's been having a rough time hasn't she? With this case coming up and all" said Ronnie referring to Lindsay

He raised his eyebrows surprised by her calm reaction "Yeah.Yeah she has"

"You should go down to Montana and see her. She could use some support right now" she suggested, further surprising Danny

"You serious?" he said

She shook her head "Danny. _Go_. She needs you"

He stared into her blue eyes intently "You're not worried..."

"About what?" she interjected, she tilted up her head and kissed him lovingly "I trust you" she said softly "You need to be with Lindsay, she's your friend"

He stroked her hair and nodded in agreement "I guess it'll only be for a coupla days then"

She started to back away, a small smile on her face "There's that tox screen you wanted" she tapped the folder she started to back away, a warm expression filling her features "I am gonna miss you though"

Danny smiled at her _"_See you in an hour then"

She winked and then turned around, walking out of the lab.

He exhaled to himself, relieved and pleasantly surprised all at the same time. It really was a fresh start for them and he was determined that they were both going to make it work this time.

* * *

George let herself sink into the soft cushions of the couch, watching as Don's parents played with Adrian in his crib.

She was at their home on a lazy Sunday where she'd been treated to some real home cooking and many hilarious anecdotes about Don's tearaway childhood and was now reclining on the sofa with Don simply enjoying the day.

He was sat beside her, just as comfortable, his head on her shoulder, his mind far away.

"Do you wanna take a walk? See my old neighbourhood?" he asked quietly

She nodded, fine with leaving Adrian to his grandparents "Okay"

He took her hand and they stood up together "Ma, dad. We're just gonna get some air alright. You okay with Adrian for a while?"

Angie waved him off "We'll be perfectly fine. Your boy is a darling"

The couple exchanged an amused look, knowing full well how much they disagreed with that statement. They both loved and adored their son but during the many, many times he would screech into the night wanting a feeding or a change or simply some attention the last thing they thought was that he was a 'darling'.

After helping George into her coat and her doing the same with Don, they headed outside, it was a nice, quiet suburb filled with down to earth, working class neighbours that had been around since the detective's child hood.

"Can I say, this isn't quite the hardcore ghetto that Ronnie's been describing" said George conversationally, Don held her hand as they walked

"You know crazy loves to exaggerate. She only got into fights because _she _started 'em" he mused wryly

George smirked "I've heard about your little scuffles too. You weren't exactly perfect"

He snorted but didn't try to deny it. They walked on a little further in enjoyable silence, gazing at the first signs of spring around the area, the blossom in trees and the warm weather.

"This would be such a great place to raise Adrian. Long Island...is so much more peaceful than Manhattan" she said thoughtfully

"Ah hell no" muttered Don "Had enough of this place when I was a kid. What's so bad about the city anyway?"

"Nothing if you like soaring crime rates and crack dens" she said sarcastically

Don scoffed "Well if you hate it so bad you _really_ shouldn't be a cop"

George rolled her eyes "I love New York, I really do, but I want to have a neighbourhood where my kids can play in a garden instead of on the street..." she trailed off noticing his expression "What?"

"You planning on having some more kids?" he asked pointedly

She smirked "If the right man comes along"

He chuckled wryly "Very funny"

"I know" she stopped walking, her eyes going over their peaceful surroundings "I wouldn't even mind commuting, I just think it would be great to live here"

He looked at her, suddenly deciding something "Then lets do it. Lets move here"

George kissed him "Love you" he smiled and moved his hand around her shoulder

They continued to walk along in comfortable silence until Don stopped, George looked at him, raising an eyebrow at his sudden nervous appearance "What is it?"

He let go of her hand and went down on one knee, she continued to stare at him not quite sure what he was doing until he retrieved a small velvet box from his coat pocket.

"Georgina Wheil, will you marry me?" he said simply, his eyes expressing everything he didn't know how to say

George stared down at the wedding ring, it had been his grandmothers and was a beautiful, classically designed ring, then she looked at him and knew he was genuine, her hand went to her chest, hoping to calm herself down but failing spectacularly.

"So, what do you say?"

* * *

**A/N**: **The end is near...**


	46. NYC Secrets and Sneaks

_**A/N: **_**I did mention that if I got the right offers they'd be a sequel but to quote Scream 'By definition alone, sequels are inferior...!" so wait till I finish this before deciding if you really want more or wouldn't just rather leave it as is. Either way, I don't mind.**

**Secondly, there is a lot of casual swearing and some adult references and I forget to point that sometimes out but if it does bother you then please avoid well...most of this fic! Otherwise, reviews are much appreciated...**

**Finally,**

**enjoy!**

* * *

Danny handed Ronnie his apartment keys "Alright, this one is to open the bathroom and you gotta feed my plants"

She raised an eyebrow "Your _plants_?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" he challenged, picking up a coat from the sofa

She hid a snigger "Not at all baby"

He kissed her "I thought not. Now, I'm gonna be gone for a little while. You aren't gonna throw any keggers are you? I need this place clean"

She rolled her eyes "_Please_. My kegger days are over. At least until the summer. I'll take good care of your place"

He kissed her again "Okay, I've got to get driving. Thanks for that guide to the best pizza places in Montana. It's really gonna help"

She pouted "I know you're being sarcastic but I'm gonna ignore that" she gave him a sweet, lasting kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck "Miss you"

"I'll call you when I get there" he punctuated each word with lingering, wistful kisses then took her hand as he headed for the front door "What are you gonna be up to while I'm gone?"

"Work and I guess I might catch Adam's friend's band with him. They're pretty good" she said, raising her head and kissing the top of his nose, smirking at his expression "What, thats alright with you ain't it?"

He looked uncomfortable "I mean yeah...fine but I don't know how I feel about you and Adam...you two are pretty close"

She scoffed "So what time are you meeting Lindsay again?"

Danny knew when he was beat, he grinned "Alright, I get it. I'll see you later. Love you"

Ronnie ruffled his hair "Be good and bring me back something"

She stood in the doorway and blew him a kiss, he smiled over at her then made his way down the hall, off to Montana. Ronnie exhaled and shut his apartment door behind her, she hoped that this time she really could trust Danny and he could do the same for her.

* * *

Angie and Sam Flack shared a look, an unspoken meaning passed between them as they heard the front door open, George and Don had returned from their walk. The couple hung up their coats, smiling to each other and embracing briefly before coming into the lounge where Don's parents were.

"Hey Adrian" said George, she crouched down to pick up Adrian who was lying on a play blanket on the floor

"So, how was your walk?" asked Sam pointedly

"Great" said Don , he sat down beside George and tickled his son's chin playfully

"You didn't have anything unusual happen?" tried Angie

George looked at Don innocently "Nope. Nothing strange happened, right Flack?"

Don smirked "Nothing out of the ordinary"

George got up to her feet, kissing Adrian on the forehead "Well thanks for a great day you guys, I really had a lot of fun, but we better get this little one to bed"

Don nodded, also rising upwards "Yeah we're gonna get going"

Angie and Sam shared another blank look, wondering why they weren't hearing the couple gushing proudly about being engaged.

While George headed off the put Adrian in Don's car, Don remained behind, collecting the rest of the baby's toys.

"Uh, Donald son, you sure there isn't something you wanna tell us?" said Sam encouragingly

"Nope. Nothing to tell" Don picked up the portable crib and then flashed his parents a smile "See you guys soon" he gave his bewildered mother a kiss on the cheek then left.

Angie raised her hands to the ceiling exasperatedly "I swear, that boy, I've raised him and he _still _surprises me"

Sam shrugged bemusedly "Thats kids for you"

* * *

A weary Sheldon shuffled into the lab, rubbing his forehead tiredly on seeing Adam he let out a relieved sigh as it meant he wouldn't have to wait forever to find a lab tech on that particularly hectic day.

"Hey man" said Adam brightly "I heard you've just come back from your honeymoon" he said with a slow smirk then added "Sleep well?"

"Thin ice! Ross! Thin ice!" said Ronnie shooting up from underneath her desk where she'd been picking up some papers that had fallen

"That is _my _sister you're talking about" she said pointedly

Adam rolled his eyes "I think its that time of the month again..." he trailed off at her dirty look

Sheldon smiled "I'm glad to see you two are getting on well"

Ronnie grinned brightly "Yeah its a regular love in here. What do you need help with?"

"Just some video footage. Heard thats your speciality in here" he handed them a padded envelope "Can you rush it?"

Adam looked at Ronnie "Its your call, I'm out of here in an hour"

She shrugged and took the envelope from Sheldon "I'll page you when I'm done"

Sheldon smiled gratefully, let out another yawn then left the lab.

"So, Danny is in Montana eh? No pun intended" said Adam conversationally

Ronnie couldn't resist a chuckle "Once upon a time I would have torn strips off you for cracking comments like that"

"So you're not jealous? At all?" he scanned some case related papers onto the computer

She rolled her eyes as she answered "Not in the least. They are just friends, I totally trust him"

He let out a scoff "You know if this wasn't _you_ I'd think you were actually maturing"

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment" she scribbled some notes down about a case "Well anyway, I'm supposed to water his plants for him while he is away"

Adam snickered "Water his _plants?_"

"Yeah thats right, he has foliage" she said with a good natured defensive tone "I think its cute"

"You only think its cute because you're sleeping with him" he retorted

"No" she said out loud then winced when she realised what she'd let slip

Adam's eyes widened "Excuse me?"

"Get back to work Ross" she said loftily

"No way Flack, you're not getting away with a spill like that. You _have _to tell me now. Come on, I tell you _all _about _my _sexual adventures" he pleaded

"Yeah and I've asked you to stop. Tell one of your guy friends about _that _thing you do"

Adam sighed "I will find out sooner or later. You know I know you like I know Lord Of The Rings"

Ronnie looked at him crossly "If I tell you, you promise not to laugh or make any snarky comments?"

He shook his head "No dice"

She bit her lip thoughtfully then gave up, she hadn't talked to anyone about her and Danny's relationship and she was dying to be able to unload about her and Danny with just _one _other person.

"Okay, well its nothing really. We're just..._not _having sex till we can get to know each other better and yeah it was my idea but Danny's really fine with it"

Adam raised an eyebrow "Wow"

She looked at him expectantly "So, out with it. Where are all the jokes?"

Adam held up his hands defensively "Hey I'm surprised actually. He really respects you I guess. You know the way you talked about him sometimes when you broke up...I thought he was in it for all the wrong reasons"

Ronnie's cheeks coloured faintly "I guess I didn't see that either. I forgot about his problems or how much he did care about me and just focused on myself"

"You do have a habit of doing that" smirked Adam playfully

She grinned "Well not this time"

* * *

Just arriving home when her brother was just waking up, Ronnie was startled to find him still at home. She jumped when she found him curled up on the couch fast asleep.

"D!" she nudged his shoulder gently "D, wake up man"

He let out a yawn, stretching out his limbs and nearly hitting her in the process, then he sat up suddenly, his eyes going to the wall clock.

"Ah, fuck...fuck, _fuck_" he growled angrily

"What?" she asked, tossing her handbag onto a chair and turning on the TV

"I'm late for work, _two _hours late" he got to his feet and hurried to the bathroom

Ronnie frowned worriedly, he was running himself into the ground trying to keep his job, find a house and look after Adrian.

She picked up the phone and dialled her friend's number "Hey...yeah I know I woke you. Yeah, yup. Shut up for a sec. Okay I need you to come over in about thirty minutes. I'll tell you when you get here! I'll owe you...okay great"

Then she hung up and went to the kitchen to make her brother some coffee.

"All I wanted to do was _sleep. Why _the _fuck _did you call me?" said Adam in a weary tone when he met Ronnie outside the bakery shop

"Well your dad's an architect I thought you'd know _something _about houses and this is so much more fun than _sleep_! We're going house hunting!" she said sweetly

He scowled at her then glanced at the bakery and relief flooded his face "I'm getting some sugar first"

She rolled her eyes but at his look, pulled another sweet expression "Why of course you can!"

Adam muttered under his brother, bristled at the weather then trudged into the bakery.

Fifteen minutes later, in a much better mood and making his way through a small box of donuts that he refused to share with Ronnie; Adam was in the back seat of Don's car with Ronnie driving.

"Seriously, don't get any sugar on the damn seats. I told him to loan it to me coz I had to be at the doctors and if he finds all that goop in there, he'll _know _I lied" she scolded

Adam scoffed "I'm _neat"_

Noticing the direction she was travelling he raised his eyebrows "Where exactly are we going?"

"Long Island. I overheard George and D talking about getting a place out there"

"You're covering my shift next week" he said decisively

She rolled her eyes "Fine but I want my Guns and Roses CD back"

He made a face "Y'know for someone whose supposed to be my 'perfect woman' you're kinda rude" then continued eating.

* * *

A/N: I bet you're wondering whats going on with George and Don know...well just wait and see ; p In the mean time, any comments on D& R's more 'mature' side would be much appreciated. 


	47. Objects of Affection

A/N: Hi, this is later than usual but thanks for all the reviews anyway, hope you give me some feedback and comments etc and I'll be putting up the next post a little after this one, I just need to edit some things because after watching certain Mac related epi's, I have a great idea from where to go next.

Thanks and enjoy.

WARNING: May contain fluff; p

* * *

Izzy gave her younger brother a sweet smile when he arrived at her front door, carrying a fast asleep Adrian in a crib, with a pastel blue shoulder bag across his shoulder. 

"Hey sweetie!" she said, lowering over the crib and smiling down at her nephew

"Hey shut your face, I just got him to sleep" said Don gruffly, completely displacing his image of a gentle father

Izzy rolled her eyes and straightened up "Well hello to you too brother dearest"

He handed her the crib and followed her inside, taking off the baby bag and putting it on his sister's kitchen counter "I really appreciate this"

Izzy shook her head "Its just two hours. I'll be fine and I _promise, _I won't burn or give him any of my 'hippy crap' okay"

He gave her an apologetic kiss on the forehead "I'm a bad brother I know"

She gave him a sudden, odd smile "You are but d'you know how you might make it up to me?"

"Ugh...I'm kinda late" he said looking worried

"All I want to know is how are things with you and George. Any...new developments?" she said not so subtly

He snorted, almost waking Adrian in the process "Our folks put you up to this?"

"Well, you did ask for Donald senior's engagement ring" she said, placing the crib on the small kitchen table for the time being

"Firstly, _gramps_ left that to _me_. What I do with it is _my_ business. _Second;_ I'm verging on late" said Don, straightening up, he bowed his head and kissed Adrian's forehead

She made a face "Where is George anyway?"

"House hunting" he said, slightly muffled as he grabbed an apple from a fruit bowl "She'll be here at two to pick up Adrian. You have all of his stuff and you have all my numbers?"

"Yeah for the last time. Now shoo" said Izzy, she watched her brother dash off with a bemused expression

She scooped Adrian out of the crib, smiling as she sniffed his freshly washed scent.

"Well, well kid. Guess its just you and me. Maybe _you_ know the truth about George and Don"

* * *

"So what did she say?" asked Danny 

Having finally finished processing his crime scene he was now leaving under the yellow tape, flanked by the lanky Don

"She said 'yes and no'. But at the time, I only heard a big fat _no_" said Don with a chuckle

They began to walk briskly towards Don's parked car from the basket ball court. Both men were eager to get stuck into the case which also happened to be Danny's first one since his return from Montana, he'd had to start straight away and had still yet to return home or see Ronnie.

"_And?_ What the hell does 'yes and no' mean?" prodded Danny

"We had a long talk. You know how George loves those? Being intellectual and all?" smirked Don "I like to keep things to the point, if you're about to kick me to the curb, I'd like to know"

"I hope you're slick enough to keep that _in _your head where it belongs right?"

"Right! Anyway, I'm thinking this and she tells me that with Adrian and everything thats happened with us, she just wants us to have a year settling down, getting a house together then in a year, if I ask her again she's definitely saying yes"

Danny whistled "And you're fine with all this I see?"

Don shrugged, a sheepish smile crossing his face "What can I say?"

"Oh man, you are _sprung_" teased Danny

His friend scoffed as they piled into the car "Look whose talkin"

"You told your sisters yet? About you and George?"

"When there's something those three loudmouths need to know, I'll tell 'em. Right now, I got bigger problems than worrying about when to tell them that I'm _not _engaged"

"Fair enough. You know, Ronnie's been snooping around me for information on you and George and when you're moving. I figured she must be up to something"

"Why do you figure that?"

"She's awake isn't she?"

Don let out a low laugh "She'd kill you for saying that"

Danny shrugged good humouredly "Nah, I'm just kidding"

"You ain't gonna tell her where I'm thinking of going are you? This is one thing I'd like to do with my own family and not having my three sisters involved"

"I've told her zip. If she hears something it won't be from me"

"They're my sisters and they wanna help but...I need to do this. If I ever get the time off"

"You're gonna be fine, you and George are solid"

"So things are good with you and my baby sister? You behaving yourself?"

Danny thought of his and Ronnie's agreement not to have sex and smiled ruefully "More than you know man"

* * *

Mac was silent as Stella walked past him into the apartment, he shut the door and helped her out of her coat, kissing her cheek gently. 

"Do you wanna lie down?"

She breathed out a slow sigh and looked at him "I should have told you about the HIV earlier, I should have I just..."

He took her trembling fingers in his and guided her to the couch, where he sat with her quietly, waiting until she was ready to speak.

"Mac?" she said faintly "What am I gonna do if its...I mean, I don't even...I haven't taken the test yet" she said in a low, barely contained voice

He pulled her in gently, holding her close to his chest "Whatever happens Stella. We'll get through it"

"Maybe. I think we should postphone the trip this weekend. Either way, I don't think I wanna go" she said

He was surprised but he understood and as much as he needed the break, he had to respect her choice "Whatever you decide is fine with me. Just don't forget you can always come to me when you need to"

She gazed at him "Thank you. I hope I can do the same for you"

She fell silent and stayed close to him, her eyes shutting tight. She couldn't face the possibility that things with her and Mac might be over before they'd even begun.

* * *

Pushing his apartment door open, Danny was met by the oddly unusual sight of a group of five women; some dancing, others chattering and all of them dressed in various figure hugging sports wear.

"_Hi _Danny!" the chorused in mock flirtatious tones

He was too tired to even be vaguely excited about the presence of the attractive women "Hey ladies" he yawned "Any of you girls seen my girlfriend around here?"

"Here!" said a voice coming past the screen door that separated his lounge from his small dining room where the women all were

Ronnie appeared, carrying a tray of empty glasses and a pitcher of what looked like margherita mix "I thought we'd be done earlier" she said kissing his cheek and placing the tray down on a side bureau

"I'm kinda tired" he said pointedly "I know I said you guys could use the space while the dance hall was renovated but..."

She patted the center of his chest affectionately "I'll get rid of 'em"

"Girls! You don't have to go home but you gotta get the hell up outta here!" she said loudly

Her fellow dancer friends made various disagreeable noises but started to collect their gym bags anyway as they prepared to leave, finally they left, after having been seen off by Ronnie who gave them the margherita mix as a condolence prize for having had to leave.

While all that was happening, Danny had gone to his room, dumped his bag and then had headed into the shower, he was stood there underneath the water letting the day wash over him when Ronnie rapped on the glass screen.

"You wanna join me?" he smirked at her, peering around the screen

She scoffed, leaning forwards on her tiptoes to kiss him, her eyes shut as she savoured the kiss "Did you miss me?"

He returned the kiss "A_ lot._ You sure you don't wanna join me?"

Ronnie shook her head sweetly "Stop playing. Tell me about what happened. How did things go with the court case?"

She closed the lid of the toilet seat and sat on top of it.

Danny raised an eyebrow "I'm gonna tell you something and you're not gonna overreact alright?"

"Why?"

"_Alright?"_

"Danny..."

"Just promise"

"_Alright_"

He exhaled "The killer is going away for a long time and you know, it was a real stressful moment for Montana there then boom, she finds out she can breathe free again, she can live her life and she got overwhelmed" he hesistated "I'm only telling you this coz I _love you _and _only _you" he said hesitantly

She arched an eyebrow "Danny, baby? Out with it"

"She tried to kiss me...where are you going?" he said, interrupting his own words

Ronnie had stood up, a determined look in her eyes "Just out"

"To see Lindsay?" he ventured

"What the hell? I mean, I start trusting her and _you _and..." she let out a frustrated groan "Why would she do that? I was even thinking for a second there that we were becoming friends"

"Well what are you gonna say to her?" said Danny patiently

"Who said I was gonna _talk_?" she snapped

He reached out his hand past the screen, grabbing the back of her blouse causing him to almost slip in the process "C'mere"

She glared at him, shrugging him off her "_What?_"

"She was real embarrassed and _ashamed_. Y'know that? She really likes you and that kiss wasn't about me, she was just relieved, just looking for some comfort but _nothing _happened"

Ronnie sighed thoughtfully "I'm still mad" she pouted to prove she was serious

"At me?" he said hopefully

She shook her head "Nah. I just...I think I need to cool off"

He gave her a considered look "Can I have a kiss?"

Ronnie leant forward reluctantly to kiss him, a small smile playing up at her mouth but as she was leaning in, his arms encircled her waist and he tugged her into the shower, where she was drenched almost instantly.

"_You!_..._asshole_" she gasped laughing as the water soaked through her clothes and dampened her hair

Danny grinned "You need to cool off anymore?"

"No!" she giggled, he sneakily pressed his lips to hers

Groaning exasperatedly she pushed him away and hopped back out of the shower "_You're _the one who needs to cool off" she grabbed a towel, still giggling, about to go to the bedroom to change clothes and dry off

"Hey!" he called from the shower

She looked over her shoulder "What water boy?"

"I dropped some soap. Can you pick it up for me?" he said with an impish grin

Ronnie flushed happily and shut the bathroom door on her way out.

* * *

George lay back on Don's bed, Adrian was beside her gurgling and wiggling his small legs on the bed. It had been an eventful day she'd spent; checking out potential houses, then taking her son to the doctor's, after that she'd fed him, bathed him, fed Atticus and all at her apartment, then she'd had to pack some overnight things and go over to Don's because he was at work and she knew he'd be too tired to drive over to hers. 

She was barely awake but Adrian was very alert, she wondered how her mother had raised her and her sister's. Then she remembered the many nannies and made a face, if only she too had the luxury of money to spare on a nanny.

"He not asleep?"

George lifted her head to the doorway, giving Don a weak smile "Does it look like it?"

Don inched out of his shoes and shut the bedroom door "I think Atticus is asleep in my sister's room, she's staying at Danny's so we can put Adrian in there with the baby monitor when he settles and then..." he paused to loosen his tie "Get some sleep"

She sat up straighter, now cradling the infant "Grab a shower" she stood up gently off the bed and kissed Don on the lips "I'll get this one to bed"

He nodded, too tired to argue, rubbing her back in passing.

When Adrian was finally asleep, George shuffled back into her boyfriend's bedroom, yawning widely, her curly hair in two thick braids. He was in his boxers, just pulling on a tee shirt over his tired frame.

"How are we gonna manage this and work?" she said softly, climbing under the soft sheets

Don joined her a few seconds later, slipping under her arm and leaning against her chest "I have no idea"

She kissed the top of his dark hair "Well we're gonna have to find a way, Flack I can't live like this. We need a home of our own"

He nodded glumly "Well we're trying but it might take a while"

"And until then?"

He didn't know how to answer, she sank down into the pillows tiredly and like him was soon fast asleep, hoping to catch a few hours of rest before Adrian was up again.

* * *

Blinking at the sunlight, Danny drew the blinds in his kitchen a little to shield his eyes, he watched Ronnie for a few moments, she had slept there and since she hadn't brought some bed clothes she had worn one of his shirts to bed. Now she was humming along to the radio and frying up a breakfast for them to eat. They both had work and he was glad that he had gotten the chance to wake up at the same time as her for once. 

"I could get used to this" he said, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing her shoulder blade

"What? Me cooking?" she said with a scoff "Its only because I liked that tee shirt you got me from Montana. So don't get any ideas about breakfast in bed"

"Ha. Alright, there goes that plan" he chuckled and kissed her earlobe "Nah, I meant you being around here a lot"

She moved away from the stove with his arms still around her "Even when I leave my underwear everywhere?"

"_Especially _then. Listen, why don't I make up a copy of my keys?" he said casually

She turned to face him, eating a piece of toast "Why, you lose the ones you got?" she said coyly

He shook his head, smirking "No, I just think you should have a key if you wanna come in here, y'know some peace and quiet to do work if George and Adrian are over at yours or y'know if you just want some where to walk around naked"

She let out a laugh "Okay, I think I'll take you up on that offer"

"The naked part?" he said kissing her

She scoffed "Nuh uh. The key bit. I like that"

She embraced him, letting out a small sigh "Thanks"

"No problem"

* * *


	48. And Thems The Breaks

**A/N: This took longer because I hadn't yet seen Snow Day and I wanted to be accurate on some later parts. Anyway, this is a lengthier chap and its got fluff, angst and humour all in one big mess...so tell me what you think.**

**Hope you enjoy...**

* * *

His brow furrowed, Don stared moodily at the greying skyline, the police department behind him and Stella stood by his side. Her elation at finding the results of her HIV test negative had given way to her worry about Mac and his increasing trouble with Clay Dobson.

"Y'know, I was right next to him, we all _knew _where Clay was, Mac couldn't wait five seconds for the rest of us?" muttered Don

Stella remained silent, her arms folded across her chest while Don continued to rant, clutching a cup of forgotten coffee in his hand. Mac's attitude over the past month had been growing worse and worse, he was overworked and he was losing his temper with all the wrong people. She knew he was under a lot of stress but instead of confiding in her, he'd turned away and kept to his work. He didn't need her anymore.

"What was he _thinking?_. He's a hypocrite y'know? But of course everything is a different rule for Mac"

Stella looked up at Don "Flack, you don't think he..." she said and faltered, unable to say the words

Don shook his head vehemently "He's done a lot of things lately I never thought I'd see him do but Mac didn't kill Clay. He wouldn't have"

She nodded "Yeah. Of course not"

Don eyed her worriedly "You alright?"

She half smiled, wishing she could talk to someone about her and Mac, but she knew how important privacy was to him. Despite them both going to the charity fund raiser together, she doubted anyone knew they were dating, in fact people seemed to be under the impression that Mac was with Peyton.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just cold"

Don took a swig of the coffee, grimaced and then chucked it in a trashcan "I gotta get out of here. The press is gonna be on this in seconds...I really don't need this" he muttered

Stella watched him stalk off, feeling just as upset as he did. She had never expected Mac to behave the way he had and now that she'd seen this side of him, she wasn't sure she could just accept it.

* * *

Danny rapped on the door to the lab, when he got no response he pushed it open hoping to see Ronnie but instead found Adam.

"Oh. Hey" he said

Adam looked up from his workstation and sent a brief nod in Danny's direction "Did you want something?"

Danny was about to say no when he changed his mind suddenly "Actually...yeah"

Adam inwardly winced and hoped that Danny didn't want the details of his very brief relationship with Ronnie.

"Look, I just wanna apologise" began Danny

Adam raised an eyebrow "Come again?"

"I've been acting like an asshole to you. I guess was jealous of you and Ronnie" admitted the CSI

Adam scoffed "Did Ronnie send you up here?"

"No. Actually she had nothing to do with this. I know you haven't said anything to her but I've been a jerk and I'm saying...I'm sorry. We can still be cool right man?" said Danny

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, still slightly bemused "Yeah...sure"

"You're alright Adam" said Danny grinning "Next time you're free, we'll grab a beer. My shout"

Adam squinted at him suspiciously for a few seconds then smiled "Alright"

Danny headed out

"See ya around lab geek"

"Right back at ya"

* * *

Stood in the lab doorway with her arms folded, Ronnie furrowed her brow in concern as she listened to her fellow lab tech

"That doesn't sound like Mac" she said when he was done

Adam shrugged wearily "Well thats what he did. He just blew up and stormed out of here"

She exhaled "You didn't have to cover for me. I'll tell him now that it wasn't your fault, I gave the evidence to Gerard without checking with Mac first" she said determinedly

"Forget it, he's just gonna chew you out too" muttered Adam "And anyway, its procedure. Gerard's the head why not give it to him?"

She shook her dark head "Still. I'm gonna go round there and say what really happened"

He gave her a warning look "He's in a seriously bad mood. All this stuff with Clay Dobson, maybe you should just leave it"

Ronnie's frown deepened but for the time being, she decided to follow Adam's advice and forgot about Mac's strange behaviour.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning the sun was out but Don had barely noticed, he'd been working all through the night and had just managed to return to the precinct after having gone through hours of work with the SWAT team to prepare for an upcoming drugs raid.

On his floor, through the glass screens of the door leading to the homicide department, the tall detective could just make out a small commotion inside, he pushed past the doors and headed over to his desk where it all seemed to be centralised.

"What the hell? You all don't got your own desks?" he said loudly

The small group of detectives parted and he saw what all the fuss was about, George was sat at his desk smirking while normally gruff, hardboiled homicide detectives were cooing and ahhing over his son who was being held very delicately by one of the older sergeants.

"Alright, clear out of here" he said, trying to keep the smile from his face and he realised he felt much more alert

The detectives made disappointed noises and after inquiring with George when she was coming back, they dispersed back to their own stations, while George held Adrian in her arms.

"Surprise?" she said hopefully

He looked at her in mock disapproval "You know, you could have called. Things are hectic around here"

She winked "Adrian made me do it. Anyway, I wanted to see the boys _and _girls, I've been missing this place oh and its your turn to take him down for his check up"

He dipped his head down to kiss her, ignoring the chorus of 'ooohs', this elicited from some of his colleagues and then shrugged

"Alright, go say your hellos, I'm taking this guy for a walk"

Once Adrian was put in his stroller and was safely tucked in, Don headed off on his break, taking his son with him while George remained behind, chatting to whoever wasn't too busy and listening to what had been going on during her maternity leave.

Don returned an hour later and found George waiting outside the building, she flashed him and Adrian a smile but then looked put out at Don's expression.

"Whats up? What did the doctor say?"

Don shook his head dismissively "Nah, Adrian's fine. Just got a call from Mac and he...is _not _fine. There are press hanging around his place and harassing Reed Garrett..."

"Go deal with it" she said firmly

He looked at her wistfully "Y'know, I was so fucking pissed off at him, I almost forgot that he needs help, he might lose his job"

George took over the stroller, tilting her head up to kiss Don "That could never happen. Mac is a well respected man and he's got integrity. People will see that and this _will _blow over"

"What if it doesn't?" muttered Don pessimistically

"It _will. _Especially when he's got support from you" she squeezed his hand affectionately

Don looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments and kissed her "I'll see you back at your place soon alright?"

She nodded, they kissed again and once he had said his goodbyes to his son they parted ways.

* * *

Sheldon glanced over at Ronnie and Izzy suspiciously, he'd been working in his bedroom for the past few hours and when he'd gotten to the kitchen to grab a break and something to eat he'd found his new wife and his sister in law deep in conversation which had been abruptly stopped the second he'd turned up.

"What are you two up to?" he asked warily, emerging from the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a muesli bar

"Nothing sweetheart" said Izzy, batting her eyelashes innocently

Ronnie matched her sister's expression and flashed Sheldon a smile "Why?"

He smirked "Okay, so what were you two _just _talking about?"

The sisters gave him a pair of doe eyed looks "Nothing!"

"Aren't you supposed to working anyway?" said Sheldon pointedly

Izzy looked blank "The boutique doesn't open till eleven"

"He meant me" said Ronnie, she smirked at Sheldon "Don't worry, I know when my shift is, why, is there a problem?"

He chuckled "You know what, I'm gonna leave you two to it. Whatever it is, I don't think I really wanna know anyway"

"Good plan" said Ronnie innocently

Sheldon rolled his eyes and decided to return to his forensics work it was much easier to understand than the secretive workings of two siblings.

"Alright, well have fun talking about nothing. Call if you need anything" he said and returned to his bedroom

"You know" said Izzy "I hate lying to him. I mean he is my husband"

Ronnie pulled a face "Married people lie to each other _all _the time. That _is _marriage and we can't risk too many people knowing"

"_Anyway..._are you sure we're doing the right thing interfering like this? Don wanted to do this on his own and fair enough I say, he's just trying to establish his own independence and his own life" said Izzy pragmatically

Ronnie scoffed "You're too nice to be related to me. Listen, we _are _doing the right thing. Don and George don't have time to do this on their own. Besides, we've already found the most _perfect _house for them"

Izzy sighed and ran a heavily bejewelled hand through her dark hair "I don't know. You know how D is about his independence"

Her younger sister resisted the urge to scoff again "Iz, I just want to help him out. Him and George have had it rough this past year what with the accident and then them breaking up, all this stuff at work oh and Adrian..."

Izzy nodded "I know, he's been through the ringer"

Ronnie continued "And he's really been there for me. Its not like we're paying for the house and I know they love it because I kinda, sorta listened in on their conversation last night"

"_Well_..." exhaled Izzy, starting to come around "Your serious lack of morals aside...we still have to put an offer on the house to keep it. Its pretty popular"

Ronnie smirked "That is where you come in. You and Sheldon pretend to be them, put a bid in and...then we tell George and Don about it"

"What if they change their minds? What about the deposit? And how will we know their budget?" protested Izzy

Ronnie groaned impatiently "Iz, they _love _this place. You should have heard them talk about it and besides, I'm going to get George's parents to put up a deposit"

"Oh you are, are you?"

"Actually, _you _are"

Izzy's dark eyebrows shot up "What?"

"It takes a lot more skill and gentleness than Ros and I have to win over her folks. You're more of a...soft touch-"

"Gee thanks"

"They'll listen to you _willingly_. Listen, he's our _brother_"

Izzy started to smile "Yeah, and meddling is what we Flacks do. Lets hope he and George appreciate our effort"

The sisters both crossed their fingers and shared a conspiratorial smile.

* * *

Lindsay hopped onto the subway train, absently running a hand through her hair, it was early morning and the weather had been getting brisker, she had been in New York long enough to know that it wouldn't change later but would only get worse.

She moved down past some people to try and find a seat, accidentally elbowing someone as she tried to dislodge her leather bag which had been caught between two people.

"Ow" muttered a familiar voice

"Veronica?" said Lindsay with a chagrined smile

The petite lab tech peeked past the shoulders of the tall man separating her and Lindsay and raised an eyebrow "Oh. Hi"

Lindsay nodded wondering why Ronnie seemed so cool "Hi. Hey, uh, are you alright?"

Ronnie raised an eyebrow and bypassed the usual way she'd treat someone who'd tried to kiss her boyfriend by smiling "Yeah, peachy. You?"

Lindsay winced and fidgeted with the buttons of her dark green pea coat "Actually. Can we walk the rest of the way, I have to tell you something"

Ronnie smiled innocently "Oh. Okay. Sure"

The two co-workers got off at the next stop and walked up the stairs from the subway in silence for a few moments before Lindsay finally spoke up once they were up in the open air.

"There's something I should have told you about. I...well I didn't know that you and Danny were back together" she started nervously

Ronnie shrugged "Yeah, we're trying to keep it less low-key than before but well...even the cleaning staff know so..."

Lindsay chuckled half heartedly "Its hard keeping a secret in that place"

"So what did you want to talk about?" said Ronnie innocuously, she noticed Lindsay's nervousness and gave up the pretence of not knowing what the other woman was worried about.

"Ah...listen, I _know_"

Lindsay looked blank "You _know _what?" then she trailed off "Oh"

Ronnie twisted the bracelet around her wrist "Danny told me and yeah, I was pissed off. Especially after everything thats happened"

The other woman blushed and looked away "I would never have done anything if I thought you two were together and even _then _nothing happened, I just got caught in the moment"

Ronnie made a sudden decision "Don't even worry about it. I understand and its not even about that...you should be celebrating that you're free from your past. We both should"

Lindsay looked at her anxiously "You're not mad?"

"Puh-lease. The amount of friend's boyfriends I've hit on in the past, phew I mean..." she cut herself off "Never mind, we're both too grown up for all that high school drama" she held out her hands invitingly "Friends?"

Lindsay beamed and sighed with relief "Definitely"

The two women grinned and embraced warmly then spent the rest of the walk to work chatting about the day they had ahead.

* * *

Don glanced over at the phone, he and George were on the couch, in her apartment enjoying a rare night of peace when the phone had started ringing.

Adrian was asleep, Atticus had been fed and as usual the well behaved dog at the foot of the couch seemingly also engrossed in the late night movie they were watching.

"You're not gonna get that? It might wake up you know who" yawned Don

"Saying Adrian's name is not going to wake him up" said George

"Its happened before" said Don indignantly he kissed George's cheek "You better get that"

"Why can't you?"

"Hey, your house"

"Well next time Adrian needs changing, I'll _remember _this" she said with a mock-threatening expression and reached for the phone

She frowned when she saw the caller display and placed the phone back in its crib, then stared resolutely at the tv screen.

"You gonna tell me who that was?" he asked quietly, his hand absently playing with curls of her hair

She shook her head away from him "Can we just watch the movie?"

He exhaled and leant back into the couch, knowing well the reason for her sudden change in mood "They are your folks. You need to talk to them sometime"

"No I don't" she said stubbornly "I don't need their judgement. I need their support and they're not capable of accepting anything I do...so..." she let out a frustrated growl "Why do you always try and make me talk about this?"

She got up and headed for the kitchen to get herself a snack, he hesitated then followed her there. Standing in the doorway, Don gave her a smile, hoping to get one back

"Georgina Wheil, I'm tryna do the right thing here"

She sighed and moved over to him, her hands going around his waist "Yeah, yeah. Well stop. I just want some peace okay?"

He tried once more "They might be trying to make things up with you"

"Donald Robert..." she started

"Alright! Case closed, we won't talk about it. Christ" he muttered

She squeezed his hand briefly "Sorry. I just want to relax. Lets talk about something else"

"Well...alright. There's something I always wanted to know. Why'd you switch partners on me?"

"Wow, you have no idea what 'small talk' means do ya?"

"George..."

She tilted her head up in order to look at him"I had to"

"Why?" he said

"Look, even if one side of me was thinking I never should have slept with my partner and that you were too cocky or too in your face..." she trailed off at his expression

"Well if thats how you _really _feel" he said pointedly

George smiled "Basically..." she continued "One half of me thought we would be too different and it would be too hard for us to work together thats part of the reason why I put in a request for a new partner"

"And the other reason?" he encouraged

She blushed "Well, I guess I was falling for you but...I didn't tell you that at the time and well..." she remembered how things had gone so drastically wrong between them "We both know how _that _turned out"

Don raised his eyebrows "Both kinda pig headed huh?"

She kissed him "Urgh. You more so than me. You could have just come up and told me how you felt"

He snorted and moved away from her "This is one of this pot calling the kettle black moments. Y'know what I mean?"

"Ha ha" she retorted dryily "Well, we made it anyway"

He paused in the doorway "And we got little Adrian to thank. That kid is getting some nice wheels as a thank you when he turns eighteen"

George smiled again "I love you"

He looked over his shoulder and gave her a meaningful look "I know" he smiled then let out a yawn "If we wanna get some sleep before Adrian wakes up, now would be good"

George smirked and moved to his side, pressing her lips against his again "Hmm. Who needs sleep?"

Don grinned as he reciprocated "Not me"

* * *

Stella stalked out of Mac's office, struggling to keep a reign on her emotions, she was furious with Mac and yet again he had no response to her anger, only the same old excuse that he was 'busy'. She'd thought she'd find him in a moment of peace and share with him the facts that she was no longer a suspect in a cold case and that her HIV test had come back negative.

All of these things she'd thought he'd be as happy as she was and eager to think of something positive but he'd been too engrossed in his case and had brushed her off.

"Woah! Watch out!" said Ronnie cheerfully as Stella nearly came into contact with her

Stella blinked at the younger woman as if just seeing her then apologised quickly before continuing on towards her own office

Ronnie watched the CSI go and then looked back in the direction of Mac's office. She changed her path and went to check in on her boss.

"Hey chief" she said brightly once he'd let her in to the office

Mac stared at her blankly "What is it?"

Ronnie exhaled "Well, I just saw Stella, she seemed in kind of a bad way...are you guys okay?"

He looked at her confusedly, he could barely remember speaking to Stella "What are you talking about?"

She raised an eyebrow "I'm just...well after the day she's had I thought you too would be celebrating"

He continued to look blank "Veronica, I'm..." then he realised what Stella had been trying to tell him

"Thats between me and Stella" he said gruffly

"Yeah, course. Sorry, I was just worried about you" she said "We're friends right? If you got a problem..."

"What you should be worried about is your _work, _I am your _boss_ and my private life is _none _of your business. Got that?" he snapped impatiently

Ronnie flushed indignantly but didn't say anything, she nodded her head and stalked back out, suddenly understanding why Stella had been so pissed off.

* * *

**A/N: The chapters will be longer as we near the sob end but thanks for the past reviews and sorry to end on a bum note but...it'll all make sense in the end. I used this chapter to tie up some left over strings and now they're done, I can open some new ones.**

**Also, if anything sounds or seems out of character please do tell me and I'll make sure to work on that in future.**


	49. Fired Up

**A/N: This is a LONG chapter but I suppose you deserve it. I've been on holiday so haven't had time to post. Anyway, as I said before this is a lengthier chap and its got fluff, angst and humour all in one big mess...so tell me what you think. Its the one before the last one...**

**Hope you enjoy...**

* * *

Mac glanced to the side where Stella had been sat silently in the car since he'd picked her up from her apartment.

"You alright?"

She gazed at him, a sad expression in her eyes "I don't think I can do this right now"

"What? The restaurant?" he said, his eyes quickly going back to the road

She looked out at the dark sky as he drove "No. Us"

His jaw tightened "What?"

"Mac" she said despairingly "You didn't trust me. You couldn't trust me to ask you to help with this Clay Dobson thing. You pushed me away and...I don't know...I just don't think we're gonna work after all. You've made it clear that you don't need anyone. Least of all me"

He was stunned by this but could not answer because he knew it was true and yet he hadn't even realised that he'd been distancing himself from her again.

"What, you think I killed him?"

She stared at him angrily "Do you honestly believe I'd think of you that way?"

"I just want to understand" he said flatly

"Mac...I just wanted you to let me help you and when...I found out the test was negative you brushed me off"

He concentrated on the road, his brow furrowed "I didn't mean to and I told you I was sorry but I was busy I..."

"You always are Mac and I work with you. I see what this job does to you, its changed you and I don't think I can be with you until you figure this mess out"

He nodded slowly but didn't respond.

"You don't have to do this"

Stella placed a hand on his shoulder "I do. The HIV scare made me realise that I have to focus on the things that matter and if you're not ready for this relationship then thats fine. But I can't wait forever for you to trust me, I've tried to prove it to you but no matter what I do you just get further away"

He shook his head "Stella I promise you that-"

She swallowed and cut him off "I'm gonna be there for you while this Clay Dobson thing blows over but I don't want anything more. We can't be together"

He paused at the traffic lights and looked at her one last time, hoping she would change her mind "I can't make you stay?"

"No. You can't"

The lights changed and he kept driving, he had taken Stella for granted and now when he needed her most he'd lost her.

* * *

_Post Snow Day_

Sat on the floor of her apartment, the young mother could scarcely believe what she'd just seen, but it was true and it was the best news she could have hoped for.

Closing her eyes, George let out another breath and held Adrian even closer, then she began to smile till she was grinning ear from ear. She kissed her son's soft hair and opened her eyes, instantly going towards the television screen.

Beside her Atticus was sharing her joy and was more alert, she reached over and stroked the dog's ears. Rising to her feet, she kissed Adrian's head again, still smiling gleefully;

"Come on. Lets go get your dad"

* * *

Under the falling snow, the crowd of spectators and press watched eagerly as slowly, the hostages from the forensics department emerged looking startled and tired but very much relieved to be out.

Moving past the crowd and under the yellow tape, the lab tech clasped a hand over her mouth as she stared at the open back of the ambulance van, then wasting no more time she rushed over to her fellow lab tech and one of her best friends, her heart thudding with relief.

He was bruised and looked immensely exhausted but he was alive and that was certainly good enough for her.

"Ross!" Ronnie exclaimed once she'd reached the van

He looked at her "Oh, not you again"

She grinned and put her arms around him, pulling him into a ferocious hug. She took a moment to look at him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You okay Ross?"

He managed a tired smile "I will be"

She hugged him again with equal fervour and then ruffled his hair "Once you're all rested up, I'm taking you out to get _very _drunk. Promise?"

Adam squeezed her hand affectionately "Promise"

She sat beside him while the EMT's tended to him but while she was beyond ecstatic that he was safe and well, there were still a few people yet to emerge from the building. One in particular that she was very concerned about.

* * *

The curly haired detective surveyed the scene quietly, her mind going all over the place. It had been an intense day but somehow they'd managed it out alive. She thought of the man she still loved and wondered if things could be repaired between them.

"Stella"

He looked at her with his warm eyes, an enigmatic half smile on his face "Good job today"

"You too Mac" she said softly, snow glittered in his hair and she wanted to brush it aside

"Are we gonna be okay?" he asked hesitantly

She folded her arms and suddenly couldn't look at him "I need some time"

He nodded, ignoring the hardness in his throat "Of course" he noticed that there was still so much to be done, his team had been through a terrible ordeal

"I better go" he said in parting

She watched him leave and swallowed thickly, pushing away her concerns about their relationship. That could wait, right now there were people who needed her help.

* * *

Walking unsteadily, the young CSI made his way out alongside some co-workers, his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the snow and he smiled gratefully at the EMT who was gesturing at him but he didn't need to be checked up, he wanted to get home and be with her. He still couldn't see her, his eyes searched the crowd and found nothing.

Suddenly there she was from the side, she made quick work of coming over to him and stared at him, her eyes sparkling.

He cracked a faint smile and she quickly slipped her arm around his waist, propping him up.

"Hey" said Danny breathlessly "You're looking good"

"You're not looking so bad yourself" Ronnie said quietly as they walked

He lowered his head and kissed her, his free hand going to her cheek and stroking it gently, his eyes met hers and he frowned "Were you crying?"

She sniffed and looked away, unable to express just how scared she'd been for him "I just want to get you home"

He tilted her chin up to his, touched by the worry clear in her face "I love you" he pressed his lips to hers lovingly "You know that?"

She fixed him with a stern look "Don't ever scare me like that again"

He nodded solemnly "Never again"

They shared another lingering kiss and then the couple made their way towards a cab and towards home, where they could escape the trauma of the day.

* * *

The dark haired detective smiled to himself as he watched his black car pull up to the sidewalk the window to the driver's side was wound down and he saw her, she gave him an affectionate grin.

"Give you a ride?"

He walked over to the window, still wearing his flack vest and looking a little worse for the wear after the eventful day but now that he'd seen her, everything seemed to fade away.

George wound down the window to the backseat where her and Don's son was safely strapped into a car seat, with Atticus beside him.

"Looks like you bought the whole team" he said, peering into the back and smiling at his Adrian who was dozing peacefully

"Are you gonna get in then?" she asked

He moved back to the driver's window and smirked "One thing first"

He leaned into the window and kissed her.

* * *

Yawning a little as his eyes opened, Danny raised a hand above his head and pulled on a cord, releasing the blinds and letting some light into his bedroom, he turned to the side where Ronnie slept, they were both still dressed and after the previous day had simply fallen straight to sleep.

He slid his hand around her waist and laid it against the flat of her stomach, the entire time he'd been taken hostage he'd worried about her, it had been the only thing that had helped him because if he'd thought about how dire his situation was he might not have been so able to think clearly.

She yawned too now and blinked, wincing at the light, she twisted her head to look at him.

"Sleep alright?" he asked

She thought of how she hadn't even been able to consider the closing her eyes until he'd been safely asleep in her arms and smiled sleepily "Yeah, pretty good"

He brushed his lips over her eyelids "Well we can stay here. You got any plans?"

Her lips met his in a kiss and then she frowned "I have this thing with D and George to organise"

He raised an eyebrow "Oh yeah, that whole conspiracy you won't tell me about"

"Mmm, well a girls gotta have some secrets" she traced a finger down his chest and kissed the tip of his chin "I'll call when I can"

"Lemme come along. I can help" he said, rolling onto the flat of his back

She shook her head and tutted playfully "You need to rest and anyway it means you going all the way to Long Island and having to be with my parents...and you don't want to do that"

He sniffed indignantly "I do actually. I think your folks are great"

Ronnie shifted closer to him "Danny..."

"Veronica, I wanna come, I don't need to rest"

She pouted but he stared back challengingly and she gave up "Alright fine" she climbed over him and reached for her handbag "You better behave yourself when we're there"

He propped himself up on his elbow, watching her with an amused smirk "Yes ma'am"

* * *

"I really need you there" insisted Izzy as she helped her husband with his tie

Sheldon sighed "Honey, I really _do _have to work. We can have lunch at your parents next week"

"Oh! That's not what this is about" she squeaked irritatedly "You are_ so _missing the point"

He put down his jacket and looked at her carefully "What exactly are you planning?"

Izzy raked a hand through her dark hair "I can't say. Not until Don and George know first"

Sheldon gave her an apologetic look "I really have to be there?"

"Its a family affair" she pleaded

He kissed her briefly "Sorry baby but I really gotta work. Call me tonight alright? Tell me all about it"

Izzy sighed wearily then smiled "Be safe"

Touched by her concern he gave her a lingering kiss "If things aren't too busy, I'll try and be there"

She smiled agreeably and shut the door after him, then went to get dressed.

* * *

George shuffled into the kitchen wondering where all the noise was coming from, she was barely awake and had planned on sleeping till noon but she'd been rudely awoken by a lot of clattering coming from her kitchen.

She stood in the door frame and watched Don trying to fan the thick smoke coming from the stove and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"Flack, sweetie. What the hell are you doing?" she asked sleepily

He glanced up at her, looking vaguely flustered "Wheil, you really outta get your fire alarm fixed"

"Don"

"Uh, I tried to make eggs and forgot about them. You like yours well done right? I'm talking crispy here" he said amiably

She chuckled tiredly "Just come back to bed" then she remembered something "Your parents have Adrian right?"

"No, the mailman does(!)" he retorted then at her look hastily added "They picked him up bright and early"

"And Atticus is with your sister?" she asked, moving into the kitchen

"Yup" he tossed the burnt eggs into the trash and started clearing up his mess "So, Mac called. Apparently I have the day off"

She sat down on a kitchen stool "No work, no kids, no job. What will we do?" she said coyly

He moved over and kissed her "I got some ideas" he slipped his hands under her tee shirt and traced over the faint lines of her spine with his fingers

She a shiver of pleasure travelled up her spine, she pressed her lips to his, briefly at first then growing more intense as the pressure of his fingers did.

"Flack..." she said, breathing into his ear

He kissed her lingeringly, his hands now roaming around her waist "What?"

"We should move away from the window"

He let out a low chuckle "Oh yeah"

He tugged at the drawstring of her bed shorts gently and she slid off the stool and spread her palms flat across his chest, exhaling as he did.

"Yesterday, I thought..." she didn't let herself finish, not wanting to spoil the mood

He swept a hand through her hair, letting it rest on her neck "I'm safe"

Her eyes went to his and she started to smile, then moved in for another kiss. When she pulled away, he wasn't smiling anymore, but the look in his eyes swept a warm flush from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

"So tell me about those ideas you had for today" she said softly, her fingers travelled down his chest and the sides of his arms, tantalisingly slowly while she spoke, then she took one hand

"Better yet. Show me"

He smiled and allowed himself to be lead into her bedroom.

* * *

Scrambling out of the taxi, Ronnie hurried out, leaving Danny behind for a few seconds. He followed her out after paying the driver, smirking at her as she tried to straighten her jeans.

"You're such a pervert" she teased, adjusting her top quickly

"I told you, that was the car going over some bumps. If my hands happened to fall where they did, then I can't help that can I?" he grinned salaciously

She ignored him with an indignant scoff and turned to face the house they'd arrived at, there was still a for sale sign in front but it was definitely the right house and gazing around the neighbourhood which was quiet and mostly suburban it would be perfect for George and Don.

"Penny for 'em?" said Danny, his hands creeping around her waist

She jumped and then smiled at him "This is the one. Don and George are gonna be here at seven so we gotta get things cleaned up for them and make sure everything goes on schedule. You up to that?"

He kissed the nape of her neck "Yeah. And then what?"

"Uh, I think when we're finished, we go back to my parents and get the rest of the stuff then we come back here, do the surprise and hopefully be back in the city before eleven" she said and then let out a whistle "Thank god"

"What, you don't like the suburbs?" he asked amusedly

She snorted "Fuck no. Do I look like I would fit in around here? I'm surprised D wants to live here, but he was always a weirdo"

"Yeah, you're right" he said dryly "With a mouth like that, you wouldn't be allowed around here"

"Hey!" she protested and smacked his hands away "Come on Danny boy. We got work to do"

He watched her rummage around in her bag for a few minutes, getting more and more irritated then he said with a ghost of a smirk "Looking for these?"

She saw him hold up the house keys and gave him a suspicious look "How'd you get those?"

"They fell into my lap when the cab was going over all those dangerous curves? Remember?" he said cheekily

She tried not to smile but failed and snatched the keys, heading over to the front door

"We're working today, so keep your hands to yourself alright?"

"Same to _you_"

* * *

Sheldon arrived around seven thirty carrying a housewarming basket filled with various gifts for the new home, he rang the door bell, casting a quick glance at his watch.

The door was answered by Danny who seemed in good spirits but that could have been attributed to the beer he was holding.

"Hawkes! Hey, I didn't think you were gonna make it" said Danny

Sheldon smiled apologetically "I can't really stick around, the snows cleared up for now but its gonna get worse. I've gotta drop this off then try and get back to work before my break ends"

Danny scoffed disbelievingly "Good luck with that"

Sheldon handed him the basket "Tell George and Don I wish I could be here...blah, blah, blah and if you see my wife..."

"Blah, blah, blah..." interjected Danny

Sheldon chuckled, bid his colleague goodnight then headed back to his car to make the drive back to the city.

* * *

Danny returned back into the house and into the lounge which had been transformed with decorative tea lights, soft cushions and a table of food; Ros and Colin's two sons were running around and playing while their parents drank and talked to some of the other guests who included two of George's siblings; Valerie and Corrine as well as Ronnie, her father Sam, Izzy and of course Danny.

"Man, we are seriously outnumbered" said Colin to Danny

Danny looked around at all the women and nodded "Well, there's your boys but they don't really count right?"

Colin chuckled "Unfortunately no. Watch out, there's my wifes father. I think he's about to give you 'The Talk'. Good luck" he then quickly hurried off

Danny winced inwardly as Ronnie's father approached, he seemed pleasant enough but he was still a father and Danny wasn't used to getting to the stage where he would even meet a girls parents so he wasn't sure what to expect.

"Danny my boy!" said Sam smiling "You wanna come and take a walk with me?"

Danny looked over at Ronnie for help but she was too busy helping Izzy set out the food and arguing with Corrine about hair dying techniques.

Sam patted Danny on the back and they walked together into the empty kitchen, Sam raised his beer in a toast to Danny.

"Good job on this party. I hear you're good friends with my son" he said conversationally

"Yes sir. We've worked together a long time now" replied Danny

"I also see that you and my daughter are pretty close now" said Sam

Danny scratched the back of his neck nervously "Uh yes sir. We are"

"You planning to get serious with her?" Sam said with that same conversational tone but he was now watching Danny more intently

"Well uh, I am pretty serious about her...uh Veronica but I'm not quite sure if she feels as serious about me just yet. We'll see how things go" said Danny

Sam took a sip of his beer and chuckled "She's pretty headstrong but let me tell you, if you two have lasted as long as this then she might be a lot more serious than you think. As long as she can trust you and she _can _trust you, right?"

"Of course" said Danny quickly "Yeah, she definitely can. I love her and I want that from her"

Sam let out a booming laugh "Thats all I wanted to hear. Now what are we sitting around here for? Lets go get ourselves some more beer"

Danny let out a relieved sigh, he'd survived 'The Talk'.

* * *

George wrapped her arms around herself, bristling and moving on the spot to keep from getting too cold as she got out of Don's car.

Don glanced over at her "You alright there, you look pretty cold"

She groaned "Well obviously. Its _freezing_"

He gestured at his parents house "Well lets get Adrian and we can get back home"

She nodded and linked arms with him in a bid to warm up as they walked to the front door. Angie answered, greeting them each with a beaming smile and a big hug.

"Hey ma" said Don, cringing as his mother ruffled his hair

"I thought you were gonna drop Adrian off" said Don as the headed into the lounge

Angie shrugged vaguely "Well your father had the car and he had to go to work"

Don raised an eyebrow "Then whose car was that I saw in the back?"

Angie gave another vague shrug and went to pick up Adrian who was laid on the lounge floor on a blanket playing with a soft toy.

"Can you two do me a small favour?" she asked

George smiled "Yeah sure"

Don pulled a face as he took Adrian from his mother "Will it take long, we really gotta get going and the snow is building up pretty bad"

Angie nodded "Oh it won't take long at all. I just need you to follow me in the car, I have a friend who has made an _adorable _little blanket for Adrian and you can pick it up on your way"

"Okay, but why don't you just give us her address and we can get it" said Adrian as he picked up the rest of his son's things

"Oh, I was going over there anyway" said Angie, she smiled at her son "I am so proud of you two"

Don raised his eyebrows and shared an amused look with George "Oh...kay" he said, growing more convinced that his mother was up to something

"Whats going on ma?" he asked

She gave him yet another vague smile and then muttered something about getting her coat.

"SURPRISE!"

George gave a start as she was greeted by some of her family, friends and co-workers. She looked confusedly at Don who shared her same startled expression.

"What the hell?" he said blankly

Ronnie stepped forward from the crowd "Well, I guess I better explain. We spoke to George's dad and he gave us the deposit. All you have to do is sign off on it and...its all yours"

Don raised his eyebrows and looked at the group then at Ronnie "You serious?"

She nodded quickly "We didn't do anything really, we just asked them to hold the house and the rest of it is all up to you. We're not paying the mortgage" she said with a smile

"Well?" said George quietly

Don looked at Adrian who was cradled in his mother's arms "We gotta work hard to keep it but if you're in. I'm in"

She beamed at him "Definitely"

The guests all cheered and hurried forward to congratulate the young family on their new home.

"Alright, enough hugging, lets eat" said Sam over the din and was met with agreeable cheers

While some of the guests tucked into the buffet and Don talked to his parents a stunned George sought out her sisters and gave them each a bear hug.

"I guess you're grateful then?" smirked Valerie

George nodded quickly "Yeah! I'm so...wow. I can't believe it!"

Corrine grinned "We can't believe Dad agreed to pay up for the deposit. Somewhere in that black heart of his he really loves you"

George smiled thoughtfully, she looked at her sisters affectionately "Hey, I really appreciate all you've done"

Valerie raised the glass she was holding in a toast "Its all you. We just showed up!"

"Well I'm glad its you two" admitted George

Corrine winked "So are we"

* * *

It was much later that evening when the crowd of Flacks, the three Wheil sisters and Danny realised they would have a difficult trek back up to the city, especially with the several glasses of champagne some of them had downed that evening. The snow outside had increased considerably and showed no signs of slowing down.

"Ah Christ. We better get moving" said Danny pulling Ronnie aside

"How? George and Don are going to stay at my parents for the night. Ros and Colin don't have room in their car..." she looked apologetic "I think we're stuck here"

"Yeah, well we are too" said Izzy, she came over with a miserable Valerie trailing behind her

"I was supposed to be meeting my boyfriend" muttered Valerie

Sam on overhearing all this came up with a new solution. "Hey, why don't you come back to our place. If we got space for George, Donald and Adrian we've got room for you five"

Ronnie shared a worried look with her sister "Back_ home_?"

Izzy chuckled "Guess so"

So with that, the party started to die down as the food was put away and things were cleared up, leaving it clean for when George and Don moved in.

The couple remained behind with their son and bid goodbyes to various family members.

"We have a home" said George, she stood in the deserted hallway, already picturing how it would look

Don held Adrian up "I'm gonna give this guy a tour. You wanna get the car started?"

She let out a small distracted sigh, he glanced over at her questioningly "George?"

She looked at him and smiled, letting the day sink in "I'm just realising that this is gonna be our home. You, me and Adrian"

Don chuckled "You really love it here don't ya?"

She grinned "Its perfect"

* * *

A little further down town Ronnie and Danny were squeezed into her parents lounge with Izzy and George's two sisters Corrine and Margot. They had all had several bottles of wine between them along with whatever leftover food remained from the party and were a little worse for wear.

"Well I seriously need to sleep. I'm gonna have a massive hangover in physics tomorrow" muttered Corrine

"Woah, are you underage?" said Danny, his eyebrows raised "Who let ya drink?"

"You did" snorted Ronnie unceremoniously, she rolled from his lap off the couch where they'd been sat and nudged Corrine with her foot

"Come on girl, you can have my old bedroom for the night" she said

Valerie let out a yawn and got to her feet "I might sleep too. I'm real tired and I think those cheese things have gone straight to my head"

"That and all the wine bozo" teased Izzy, she looked over at Danny "Well, guess you aren't a lightweight after all"

He smirked "You're a lot nicer sober"

Ronnie looked over at the two of them with a grin "Can you two stop flirting long enough to tidy up?" then she left with Valerie and Corrine to show them their beds for the night

When Ronnie returned now carrying a spare set of blankets and some pillows Izzy and Danny had managed to clean up the small room and Izzy had made her way back into the bedroom she'd occupied for most of her youth singing merrily about Christmas time despite the time of year.

"So, good day?" asked Danny as he helped Ronnie pull out the fold out couch for them to sleep on

"Perfect" she kissed him on the cheek "I saw you disappear with dad, he didn't traumatise ya too much did he?"

Danny shrugged amiably "I'll get over it. Interesting stories about you though. So you were caught smoking in Catholic school and you stole a motorbike"

She pulled a face "I'm gonna kill Don for that. I didn't _steal _that bike. It was my then boyfriend's bike and I borrowed it...he just didn't realise. We all laughed about it later"

He stifled a grin "I'm sure"

She tossed a pillow at him "You weren't so innocent either! You got expelled _twice_. I only managed it once"

"At least I straightened out and grew_ up_" he retorted and tossed the pillow back at her

"Ah shut up" she retorted and sank down into the make shift bed and blew him a kiss "Get over here"

He raised an eyebrow "Not if you're asking like that"

Ronnie smiled sweetly, batting her dark eyelashes "Pretty please"

He curled up next to her "Better"

She kissed him,her fingers reaching up to his short hair and running through it, sensing the mood changing he pulled back with a wry smile.

"You mean that kiss?"

She grinned and kissed him again, this time shifting in closer to him and moulding her body with his as the kiss deepened. He pulled back once again, this time much more reluctantly.

"Your parents are asleep _right _upstairs" he pointed out, smirking at her flushed expression

"I'll be very quiet" she purred and lowered her hand down from his chest to the top of his belt, her fingers curling around the buckle

"What happened to the no sex thing?" he asked curiously, his own hand reaching up under her tee shirt, his fingers lightly brushing her skin

"Sex isn't supposed to be a _bad _thing" she said in a low teasing voice "I just thought we should spend more time getting to know each other first"

He lowered his head and kissed the side of her throat gently, she felt a tingle travel from that spot to her toes and she kissed him "So..."

"So" he said, staring at her with darker, intense eyes "As long as you're very quiet"

She smiled.


	50. The End Is Not The End

_**A/N: I was struggling with how to end this so I started doodling with a pen and paper (ah yes, remember those? ; ) and I finally struck gold! So here it is...the end! Hope you've had as much fun reading about these characters as I have writing about them, they are definitely some of the favourites of all my fanfics. The title is another song by The Strokes (since I seem to use their songs a lot!) If you still have questions feel free to PM me!**_

_**Thanks for the support! Read, review and for the last time...**_

_**ENJOY!**_

* * *

_**One month later...**_

* * *

_**RONNIE**_

So here I am...and things actually don't suck anymore. I should start again...

Basically George convinced me to make this little video diary for you my nephew and I thought why the hell not? _Can I say hell? Whats that?_

Oh uh...that was your dad, you'll know him, he's the one with all the bad body odour! _Ow, alright shut up, I'll do the damn video! Christ!_

Uh...where was I? Right...

Well when you see this, you will be eighteen and I will be...well a little older and hopefully I will still be with Danny.

Yikes, I've just realised what I _just _said.

Lemme let you in on something, when I came back to New York after bumming around various labs in the country, the last thing I expected was to get an _amazing _job working in a kick ass crime fighting lab----your dad just said I'm not allowed to say ass---anyway the last thing I expected was for things to start working out for me. I have to admit, I was a little messed up when I came here and it was so stupid, over something that happened years ago...but obviously its a Flack family trait to be more than a little stubborn and I wouldn't let go.

So I made a few dumb mistakes like uh...oh! _Never _make out with your best friend, no matter how cute they are or how funny they are because...well I'm over sharing...the point is...I didn't want anyone's help and I didn't think I needed it either but I came here and being with my family again and realising how much I cared about Danny made me think again and I figured that the stuff that happened in the past didn't matter anymore and what was going on right now in the present was what needed my attention.

Once I had that straightened out everything went a lot smoother...I know, why did it take me so long eh? I told you Flacks...and Wheils were a stubborn bunch. You should have seen how long it took your parents to get it together! Man the stories I could tell...but I can't obviously talk about that old shit...christ I swore again.

Ahem, so anyway basically don't let your attitude get in the way of what really matters oh and don't eat at Roy's on 86th, that guy is cooking human meat for sure.

Happy eighteenth Adrian love from your aunt _and_ your godmother, have a bitchin' day!

_-There I'm done! What'dya mean I have to do it again?!_

* * *

_**DANNY**_

Uh, hey there kid.

I'm your godfather Danny, I guess I should make a joke about that since I'm Italian...but I'm not going to go there.

You're eighteen now and if you've got your ma's good looks you're gonna be getting a lotta play---whoops, apparently your Dad wants to make this video 'clean' so I can't cuss or shit like that...ah anyway. I'm with your aunt and I guess I hope we still are together now you're eighteen, she's pretty perfect...which is making your dad laugh out loud right now...but anyway, she is amazing and you'll probably now that right now, we had it out with each other _a _lot and yet never seemed able to stay the hell away from each other.

Go figure.

Uhm, thats my life and being part of this crowd you'll soon know all the gossip about everyone in the family whether its any of your goddamn business or not! But thats actually kinda cool, we all look out for each other and we all know when to call each other out on any bullshit---sorry---and now you're eighteen you're a man, you're gonna be making your own decisions and they may not always be the same as what your family want for you but my advice would be, to listen to these guys. They are all like family to me and they may talk bull sometimes but most of the time they know what they're talking about.

Ah...thats it I guess. Have a beer on me.

Cheers.

* * *

_**GEORGE**_

Hello there sweetheart...uh no...thats too slushy, should I stop?

Uhm, I'm your mother, I guess, I mean I _know _and don't worry hopefully by the time you've reached the grand old age of eighteen I will be cured of all my nervous ramblings.

I'm not usually like this; in fact the only people that make me feel so excited that I don't make sense is you and your father.

You know what, I'm sure you already know about this but if it wasn't for me getting pregnant with you, your dad and I may not have ever realised what we really had, thats right, we were that blind and obstinate---_Flack just because you don't understand monosyllabic words doesn't mean your son won't!--_and uhm...yeah so, we are completely different people on the surface but everyday we manage to make it work which of course begs the question; why has it been so difficult to get together? Well of course, as you've noticed there is a recurring theme of stubbornness and I hope actually that you've inherited that but only where it matters of course...like standing up to your parents. We're not always going to be right...well except for when you turn eighteen, then just assume we're _always _right...but if there comes a point where we don't agree with your choices or we make you do something that you really feel unhappy about then you mustn't ever feel like you can't question that or speak up. We've always got your best interests at heart and we'll do whatever we can to make sure you're happy and healthy. You are eighteen Adrian Leopold Flack and so...I hope you have a happy birthday sweetheart, I love you so much, happy eighteenth.

* * *

_**DON**_

Eighteen huh?

I remember when I was that age, it was a...I had fun, I had a real good time and I know you will be too, you're gonna meet girls and of course you're gonna come to me for advice and all I can say is. _Listen_ the worst thing you can do is not listen to a woman because for some reason or whatever they think 'communication' is really important and be honest. Women like someone who is smooth sure, but if they can't trust you then nothings gonna come out of it. But as long as I've raised you right, you're gonna know all this stuff anyway, you will be respectful and you'll listen. Those two qualities are going to get you _a lot _of attention.

Now I gotta say, I wish you were eighteen _right _now, because we're moving house and its a real bitch to get all these boxes...

Ha! Anyway, your ma wants me to end on a better note, so...uh...don't drink and drive, I don't care if you're my son, I'll lock you down for that..._what? fine I'll say something else..._other than that, have fun today, you're eighteen, your a man and I'm proud of you.

* * *

_**ANGIE**_

Hello dear,

I'm your grandmother Angela and despite your grandfather's protests yes I _am _old enough to be so! Now, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, no matter what problem you have you can always come to us and please set an example to your aunts and uncles and visit us often okay? We're never to busy to see you dear. Have a wonderful day.

* * *

_**SAM**_

Happy birthday kid this is your grandfather Sam speaking. If I raised your old man right then you're going to be doing pretty good right now, you're probably thinking about college and stuff and you're working hard but today is your eighteenth, celebrate! Have fun, don't grow up too fast and even if your grandma and I ain't always around you'll always have plenty of other Flacks to take care of you. Happy eighteenth!

* * *

_**IZZY**_

Hi!

I'm your aunt Isobel and while I'm here, I thought I might take this chane to tell you all about my life as a vegan, you'll be eighteen and making some choices about what path to follow and I feel that this choice that I have embarked on has really opened my eyes to the wonders of----_what do you mean the tape is running out? _

Oh well dear Adrian, I suppose we'll have to talk later about this, happy eighteenth year, may all the rest that follow be filled with goodness and light.

* * *

_**ROS**_

_Look I'm waiting on a very important business call...whassat? Its on?_

Morning kid, its your aunt Roslyn here, as you know, I'm the senior of this generation of Flack kids and you're probably going to be the oldest too so here's some advice that you might wanna just jot down?

Ready?

Okay, never take your first offer, that includes when and if you ever get grounded or a disagreeable grade on your report card.

Buy low, sell high; and I'm talking about lunchtimes, buy wholesale and sell them to your little school friends, just because you're gonna be a student doesn't mean you have to live like one.

If you have a client thats being a little pushy about something they think you owe them then offer them a compromise, something sweet while they wait then deal with the situation and _fast._

Happy birthday, live long and prosper.

* * *

_**HAWKES**_

Like you, at this stage; I haven't been a part of the Flack family for very long but uh, apparently once you go Flack you never go back...thats a terrible joke.

I guess I am your...uncle...in law? And the best piece of wisdom I can give you is to never argue with any of the women in your family and son, I mean _never_.

Have a great eighteenth! Cheers!

* * *

_**CORRINE, VALERIE, MARGOT, PERSEPHONE, MELISSA**_

_**ALL: **Hi! _

**Persephone:** Hi! I'm your aunt Persephone and I've also just had a son, so hopefully you two will be really close. Happy eighteenth.

**Margot:** If you're as hot as your dad now, call me up, we can totally meet up! Its Margot at 555---

**Corrine: **Ignore that skank, I'm your aunt Corrine and if you stick with me I'll keep you righteous and bad ass but hey with George as your mom I'm sure you'll be a tough cookie anyway! Happy eighteenth!

**Valerie: **Valerie here! You are so special! You bought the Wheils and the Flacks together...for the time being anyway, but thanks for that sweetheart, happy birthday!

**Melissa:** Best wishes from your aunt Melissa, have an amazing day kid.

_**ALL: **HAPPY BIRTHDAY! _

* * *

_**JUDITH**_

Eighteen eh? Nothing but trouble, ah well, I hope that mother of yours is feeding you well today, if not come over to your aunt Judith's and I'll fatten you up!

* * *

_**KATRINA, JACOB**_

**Katrina: **Have a beautiful day, we may not have always seen eye to eye with your parents but we are very blessed and very happy to have you in our lives. Love from your grandmother Katrina.

**Jacob**: I'm your grandfather Jacob, best wishes kid, remember to respect your elders and clean up after yourself. Have a good day.

* * *

_**STELLA**_

Hello, I'm Stella and I've been given the honour of leaving you a very special birthday message since your father is such a good friend of mine. All I will say is to follow your heart, don't waste time worrying about what other people think.

Happy birthday honey.

* * *

_**MAC**_

Hi, I'm Mac Taylor and I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with both your parents and Adrian, if you're anything like your father and your mother then you will already be a great man so there's nothing more I can tell you other than to go out and have a few decent days and nights on your eighteenth.

Happy birthday.

* * *

_**FIN**_

* * *

**A/N: Thanks once again for all the support and all the charming and inquisitive reviews, I've had fun writing this story and if you're all still interested, the sequel WILL commence in mid-September and its title will be the rather saucy...'HARDCORE DAYS AND SOFCTORE NIGHTS'. Look out for that soon!  
XXXX**


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